#he would cry the moment he saw harry in lily's arms and kiss her all over saying how brave she is how beautiful she is

[lexithwrites]

im so emotional about james and lily not getting enough time with harry, they were babies themselves when they got married they deserved to be around him for the rest of their lives what the fuck

[truly-a-gryffindor]

After seeing his parent’s in the graveyard and seeing the Weasley’s interactions afterwards, Harry realized how much he longed for the affection of a family.

_________________________________

Harry thought back to the previous night in the hospital wing. Being hugged by Mrs. Weasley was the closest he’s ever felt to having a mother. Hearing her say “I love you” to all of her children before they left led him to realize that he had never been told that by anyone. To be fair, after his parents were killed, there wasn’t anyone left to love him. The Dursleys could barely tolerate him, let alone love him. He had no grandparents or other family. He didn’t realize how much he longed to hear those words until now.

He pulled his photo album containing pictures of his parents out of his trunk and began to flip through it. After seeing his parents in the graveyard the night before, the pictures felt like a gut punch. Tears began sliding down his cheeks as he looked at a photo of his mother Lily and imagined what it would be like to hear her say “I love you.”

He heard footsteps on the stairs and quickly went to wipe the tears away but not before Rom caught sight of them as he entered the room. He looked guilty for having caught Harry in such a vulnerable moment while also looking very concerned. He had never seen Harry cry before and the sight of his best friend in such pain tore at him.

“Alright, mate?” He asked, realizing as he said it how stupid of a question it was. Of course he wasn’t alright.

“Fine,” Harry choked out, though the break in his voice gave him away. Ron walked over to him and placed his hand on Harry’s shoulder gently. He noticed the photo album and grinned at the photo of James holding a laughing baby Harry, cake all over his face from what looked like his first birthday cake. He sat down on his bed, facing Harry.

“I saw my parents last night. In the graveyard. Voldemort tried to kill me and I tried to disarm him,” he said, causing Ron to snort at the fact that Harry used Expelliarmus on someone trying to kill him. “Our spells sort of, met each other. Ghost figures of people he has killed began appearing, including my parents.”

Ron’s eyes widened as his mouth fell open.

“They helped me get out of the graveyard. Isn’t it pathetic that the only people that have ever loved me are dead and I was only a year old when it happened so I wasn’t even aware of it. I’ve never heard anyone tell me they love me, at least that I remember.”

Ron looked at him sadly, not quite sure what to say. Instead, he moved to sit on Harry’s bed and pulled him into a hug. Harry sniffed and wiped more tears as they fell.

“You’re not alone, mate. You’re not and you never will be. Not as long as I’m alive, anyways.”

Harry felt a sudden rush of affection towards Ron and hugged him closer. Ron planted a kiss on the top of Harry’s head and said “I love you, mate.”

Eyes full of tears and gratitude met Ron’s though Harry was unable to speak. Ron understood, giving him a gentle pat on his back,

From then on, anytime they were leaving for the summer or writing letters, they always ended them with “love you x.” At first Hermione seemed jealous before one day Harry turned to her grinning, kissed her on the cheek and said, “love you ‘Mione.” She beamed and teared up slightly before rushing to say “love you too, Harry!” It then became a thing any of the three said to the other, casually mostly but very seriously when needed. Ron and hermione both turned pink the first time they said it to each other but the smiles each gave each other made them know it was very returned. “We’re just friends!” Hermione hissed to her girl friends. “She’s like my sister!” Rom said frustratedly when his friends teased him thought sounded annoyed at what he wa saying.

The concept made it way through the Weasley family, much to Harry’s embarrassment. Mrs. Weasley sobbbed many tears when she found out, and immediately threw her around arms him the next time she was him, sobbing and stating that the whole Weasley family loved him and he was just as much family as if he had red hair. Fred and George went out of their way to prank him more and when Mrs. Weasley fussed, merely stated “what? Just showing him he’s family, Mum!” Even Mr. Weasley made a point to hug Harry rather than shaking his hand more often than not.

For the first time in his life, he could hear “love you, Harry!” Without questioning it or evening startled by it. The Weasley family and Hermione made it very, very clearly that Harry was so very loved.

_____________________

I will probably edit this a million times but I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

[lolathestoryteller]

This is a request of continuation of moments of missing you(that drabble where James died but Lily lived)

Prompt:

moments of missing you pt.2; you are loved:

*yawn* “Harry dear, shouldn’t you be a aslee.. oh dear! Harry, baby! Why are you crying?”

“*sniff* bad d dream, mummy”

“What is it, sweetie?”

“*sniff* in my dream, I saw daddy. I ran to hug him but he pushed me away and said I should have never been born.”

(fluff ahead)

Lily thinks her heart might just have splintered into a million little pieces.

She reaches out for her son, tugging him to her as she sits up in her bed. „C‘mere Harry…“ she mutters as she lifts him onto her lap. „It was just a bad dream, love. Your Dad would never do or say these things…“ she rubs small circles on his back. „Do you know what your Dad said when he held you for the first time?“

Harry rests his head against her chest, his tussled curls tickling her neck. „What did he say?“ he asks curiously.

Lily smiles sadly at his sweet, innocent voice. Like so often, she wishes she could just take away all of his worries and doubts…he is too young to have to deal with such difficult feelings.

„He said that he‘d protect you, no matter what,“ she explains quietly, forcing her voice not to tremble so much. „That he loves you more than anything in the world.“

She feels Harry gripping onto her arm, hoisting himself up onto his knees to meet her eyes. „Do you think he can still love us from up there?“ he asks, looking towards the ceiling with hopeful green eyes.

Lily swallows against the growing lump in her throat. „His love will always protect us,“ she replies softly, thinking of Dumbledore’s words — how James‘s love had saved their lives that night. „He’s still with us, darling,“ she gently pokes his chest, right above his heart. „In here.“

Harry‘s face brightens, any tears long forgotten as he smiles back at her. „In here, too.“ he mirrors her gesture, pointing to her own heart. „Daddy loves you more than the world too.“

And there goes her efforts not to tear up.

„I love him more than the world too,“ she agrees with a quiver in her voice.

Loved might seem the more correct expression now, but although he‘s…gone, she still loves him, presently. She’ll always love him.

She takes Harry‘s small hand into hers, pressing a gentle kiss to his fingers as she whispers; „And you, darling. I love you more than the entire universe.“

{Here you go, Anon! Thanks for the ask!}

[zablife]

Darling, congratulations! I love your writing mostly because of the original ideas and how dark they can get 🥺💞

🗣 a gif blurb request

Lily, I'm sorry this one has taken me so long, but I wanted to get it right for you. I'm really happy with the way this turned out and I hope you enjoy it! Tysm for your request!

Mr. Andrew's Perspective on Education and the Potential of Bright Young Ladies

The moment she heard the loud engine roaring up the drive, Ruby ran out to meet her father’s car. When the door opened and he stepped out onto the gravel, she rushed into his waiting arms, feeling instantly calmed by the warmth of his arms encircling her small body. “Daddy, I’m so glad you’re home,” she said, breathing in his familiar scent to calm herself. 

“I’m glad to see you, my girl. I’ve missed ya,” Tommy said beginning to pull away. Ruby held tightly to her father, however, not wanting to relinquish him so quickly. “Is everything alright?” he asked as her hands gripped the sleeves of his wool coat harshly. She shook her head, pressing her cheek to his shirt front. He lovingly stroked her hair, careful not to untie the velvet ribbon that hung down her back.

“Do you want to tell me about it?” he said softly. Although she heard her father clearly, she stood still for a few long moments in uncertainty. Perhaps she shouldn’t bother him with her problem. He’d only just returned from London, dealing with the men who yelled at him all day in Parliament. Her mummy was always saying that it was far too stressful. Ruby imagined being an MP was a terrible job because it kept her daddy awake at night in his office pacing the floor. The last thing she wanted was to bother him with more worry when he was returning home for a holiday. 

Tommy pulled back to look at her face and urged, “Go on, ’s just you and me, what’s the trouble?”

Ruby bit her lip and continued hesitantly, “It’s the new teacher at our school, Mr. Andrews. He’s not very nice,” she said dropping her head to stare at the shiny buckles of her shoes. 

“Not very nice? What does he do?” Tommy said lifting her chin to look at him once more.

“Well, my old teacher used to call on me all the time. She was lovely,” Ruby reminisced with a sigh. 

“Mrs. Fellows, yes, I recall,” Tommy said, prodding Ruby to continue, rubbing her forearm gently with his gloved hand.

Her lip suddenly began to quiver as she recounted, “Last week Mr. Andrews yelled at me for arguing with Harry about our maths homework. Harry said I’d got it wrong, but I hadn’t. When Mr. Andrews had a look, he saw it was all correct, but he threw it in the bin and made me go to the headmaster’s office.” Ruby broke down crying. Tommy brought her into his arms and hushed her. 

“Ruby, darling, it’s alright. I’m not angry. What happened next?” He said urging her to finish her story. 

“Mr. Andrews said I must have cheated because girls aren’t that smart!” she said, throwing her arms around Tommy’s neck as another round of sobs wracked her tiny frame. Tommy felt his blood boil. Ruby was the most intelligent child he’d ever known and a conscientious student. Even though she was younger than Charlie, she was far more disciplined. The thought of an educator belittling her efforts was unthinkably cruel.

Ruby tightened her arms around his neck for comfort and he felt her body press against his gun holster, reminding him of the way he usually dealt with these kinds of situations. He would have to do something about this new teacher. 

“Ruby, you mustn’t let anyone make you doubt yourself. Not even adults…especially not adults you could surely beat in a battle of wits. Do you understand?” 

Ruby turned her tear stained face to him and nodded, giving him a small smile of gratitude before placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. The reassurance from her father was slowly restoring her confidence.

“Daddy talks to nasty people like Mr. Andrews all the time to make them behave. Tell me, what does he look like?” Tommy asked. 

Ruby thought for a moment, “He’s short and fat with spectacles like yours, daddy.” 

“Well, I’ll pay him a visit after breakfast tomorrow,” he assured her, taking her hand and leading her toward the house. She looked up at him with adoration in her eyes as she tried to keep step with his long, purposeful strides. 

Suddenly Ruby stopped and pulled at his arm. “Wait! Will you hurt him?” she asked pointedly, tilting her head and watching carefully for her father’s answer. Ruby’s keen mind was a double edged sword. She was too smart not to realize her father’s actual business even though he had tried to shield her from it. 

Tommy looked away for a moment breaking eye contact so she couldn’t read his thoughts. “Of course not, love. But we might have a chat about his glasses,” he said recalling the very persuasive technique he’d used at St. Hilda’s last year. 

Ruby scrunched up her nose and furrowed her brow, not following her father’s logic. “It’s about his perspective on education and the potential of bright young ladies,” Tommy explained. Ruby nodded accepting the explanation and bounded up the stairs.

[finelinevogue]

What about something with gang Harry kids?

ummm… yes;

Harry never thought he would see the day he had kids.

The world had always been so cruel to Harry and so he was always cruel in return. He never expected to find love or even to be loved, but you came along and changed everything for him. He suddenly saw himself with a family and a future. A future where you’d have a huge house with white picket fences and a large garden for you to keep, but also for your children to run around in and then come in for afternoon snacks.

Harry was patient though. He waited for everything until you were ready. Never rushed you into anything, apart from the time he sprang a marriage proposal onto you whilst you were in bed after a bloody fight. You got married quietly, with only immediate family there, before jetting off to Southern France for your honeymoon. It was there in which you’re convinced your first child, Pippa, was conceived. She was the reason for one of the very few times you’d seen Harry cry. As soon as you’d told him you were pregnant he cried. He cried when he saw a small bump forming. He cried when there was a large bump. He cried when you were crying sometimes. He has never cried so much as when Pippa was born and held in his arms though. That was a special day. And then he cried for all the same reasons again when Joseph and Lily came along - twins, which was a beautiful surprise.

So life was pretty full and chaotic right now.

Harry was still running the gang, but he didn’t focus on it as much because he wanted to spend more time with his family as possible. His second in command, Luther, had taken over as part-time leader in order for Harry to cut back just a little bit. Luther now handled all the paperwork, but everything was still ran through Harry first.

It was nice to have Harry to yourself, yourselves, for more time during the day. It was just lovely to watch the individual moments between Harry and the children. Your mind was constantly laughing with memories of your family doing funny or stupid things. There were always a few that stood out more than others though; one in particular making you smile more than most.

Two years ago

After 38 hours of labour you had finally delivered two gorgeously healthy babies into the world; Joseph and Lily.

Harry had been by your side the entire time encouraging you and making sure that you were okay as you could be. He was a fucking rock to you throughout the whole period and you couldn’t be more grateful to have him by your side. Having twins seemed daunting at first, but with Harry at your side you knew you’d be more than okay.

Now it was finally time to go home. Leaving the hospital behind you, you wondered whether you’d ever be back there again.

“What’re y’thinking about, angel?” Harry asked you, looking in the rearview mirror to catch your eye. You’d been insistent on sitting in the back of the car with the twins, slightly nervous about them being back here by themselves. Harry had been more than happy to oblige that request.

“Whether we’ll be back here with a fourth child.” You laughed, thinking it was so strange that you were thinking ahead to a fourth child when you’’re second and third child weren’t even a week old yet.

“Oh i’m sure we will be. Haven’t quite finished making our little family yet, m’love.” He smiled at you and you just leant forwards and kissed his cheek as hard as you could to show him that you loved him so very much and that he was the best dad the world could have ever given.

“Have t’make sure this little family gets along first.” You said, knowing that you were silently voicing your concerns for whether Pippa was going to get along with the twins.

Pippa was very independent and fierce, just like her dad, for a two year old and it worried you sometimes when she was quite reserved in meeting new people. She liked to be stubborn, like her mum, which made it difficult when trying to teach her manners or general people skills. Pippa knew she was going to get siblings and she seemed quite content with the idea, but you were a bit nervous for her to finally meet them. As the car journey continued, it was the only thing that you could think about.

Harry could instantly tell you were concerned about the siblings meeting and being the ever-so-amazing husband he is, tried his best to reassure you it’d be okay.

“Pippa will love them, angel. How can she not?” Harry laughed, looking in the mirror to catch a tiny glimpse of his new born babies.

“She’s just a bit introverted sometimes.” You pouted.

“Wonder who she gets that from?” Harry teased you, knowing you were the most introverted person he’d ever met. For the longest time he’s tried to coax you out of your shell, but you still liked to remain quiet and unknown. You preferred a pizza night in to a club night out, but that’s all the more reason that Harry loved you so much and got on with you so well.

“Shut up y’arse.” You laughed, hitting his shoulder lightly to make him stop making fun of you.

“Oi don’t speak like that in front of m’kids.” He ordered you in a playful way, grabbing your hand from his shoulder with the one he’d just taken off the wheel and turned his head slightly to give it a strong kiss. It was the kind of kiss that felt like it had been tattooed into your skin and a symbol of his infinite love for you.

“I think you’ll find they’re our kids.” Harry caught your eyes in the mirror as he pulled up at a red light. He was smiling at you like an idiot which only made you smile like one too. “What?”

“Say that again.”

“What? Our kids?”

Harry chuckled and returned his attention to the road, nothing more being said between you for the rest of the ride as you both let your words fill the space between you all. It felt pretty damn good.

Pulling up on your drive you were so excited to see your two year old, having kissed her so much whilst you’d been in hospital. Anne had been looking after her, seeing as Aunty Gemma was on holiday at the moment and your mum was in another city on important nurse calls.

“Home sweet home.” You sighed, unclipping your seat belt and feeling so much more relaxed now you were safely home. The whole journey you’d been so afraid that something would happen, but now that you were back home that fear was slowly vanishing.

“Welcome to y’forever home m’babies.” Harry turned in his chair to look over at you, giving you a soft kiss to the lips before hopping out of the car to start moving everything inside.

He came to Joseph’s side first and took out the baby carrier in one hand, whilst holding out his other hand to help you down the set up from the Range Rover to the floor. You thanked him, before he walked around the other side to get out Lily too. You walked to the boot and opened it just as Anne walked outside with Pippa running by her side.

“Daddy! Mummy!” Pippa shouted, running over to her dad first and keen to see her new siblings. She’d always been a very big daddy’s girl anyways, so she would’ve gone over to her dad before you anyways.

“Hello my big girl.” Harry exclaimed, putting Joseph’s and Lily’s car seats on the floor as he crouched to embrace his eldest in a tight hug. “Oh you’re so grown up already. Stop sprouting, y’big bean.”

“I wanna be tall and strong like you, daddy.” She laughed at her dad, whilst still hugging him.

“Y’already are just as strong. Just need to grow a few inches.” He told her, pulling back from her to give her a good once over.

Whilst Harry introduced Pippa and Anne to the new babies, you started taking everything out of the boot of the car. Your back hurt like crazy, but you didn’t want Harry to fuss too much so you tried to do the best you could. You had the heaviest bags on your shoulders, trying to reach in for another one before your husband finally interfered.

“What the hell are y’doing, y’bloody nuisance?” Harry exclaimed, running over to you as he left Anne to stay with the babies as she talked to Pippa about them.

He reached you at almost inhuman speeds and grabbed the bags off your shoulders, tapping your hand gently away from the one you were reaching for in the boot.

“What’re y’on about?”

“Just gave birth not even 30 hours ago, so no heavy lifting until y’re all healed properly.” He ordered strictly, a slight tease in his voice but you knew that he was being deadly serious. You appreciated his overall concern, but had also firmly instructed him you would get angry if he became overbearing or controlling.

“Baby, the worst that could happen is my stitches come undone.” You replied, handing him over the final bag that he wanted you to let up.

“Yeah and that’ll mean even longer before sex. So, no.” Of course he was thinking with his dick.

“Y’re such a guy.” You laughed, which made Harry chuckle.

“Well stop being so annoyingly pretty then, angel. Too hot for me to handle.” He complimented you, giving you a sweet and loving kiss before shutting the boot and walking back over to the rest of ur family.

“Mummy!” Pippa exclaimed, running over to you from where she’d been standing with her grandma.

“Hiya, baby.” You chuckled as she ran into your legs. You were about to bend down and pick her up, but Harry gave you a look to think otherwise.

“Come look at the tiny people.” She pulled on your hand as you smiled so brightly at the way she described her younger siblings. Harry let out a cough - one you knew that was to stop him from crying. “They’re so small.”

“Y’were once that small.” You pointed out to her, making her chuckle.

“Now i’m big.” She replied.

“Nearly as big as daddy.”

“Daddy said I had a few more itches.” Whenever she got her words wrong it made your heart swoon - she was simply too precious.

“It’s inches, baby. But yeah, maybe y’do.” You patted her hair lovingly, twirling some of her hair in your fingers as she stood close by your legs. You couldn’t help but see her as a mini version of Harry, just because of how much her personality was like her dads. She was going to become a right little diva.

Then you just stood their and watched Joseph and Lily sleep sweetly in the warm comfort of their car seats. It allowed you to take a moment and make you appreciate how grateful you were that this was your life and these were the people you got to live it with.

[tinydestinybear]

hello i love your koh blurbs can you please write more blurbs of koh universe please💫💞

yesss here you go! i hope you enjoy x

i. wrapping his wings around you to make you feel better

It was late at night when you had started shivering due to a nightmare. When Harry saw, he delicately pulled you closer as his wings opened and wrapped around your body and caressed your hair gently with his fingers.

You instinctively snuggled up closer to him if that was even possible. “Mmh I’ve always liked this, your wings are like a big warm blanket.” You said, your voice groggy slightly awake as you rested your head and left a soft kiss against his chest.

“You know that was not what I wanted to hear,” His wings tightened, he wished you would tell him that you’re alright. 

“You know what I meant. Stop worrying about me, I’m very much okay.” 

“No matter what, I’ll always worry about you.”

ii. a month after lily was born

When Harry spotted his wife and Lily asleep in her nursery, he sent out the maids guarding them and sat by their side. Lately, Lily was quite chatty, cooing and trying to speak, so it was always a wonder to see her reactions. 

Every time he saw the both of them, he felt happy. He always felt like that around them. As his gaze shifted to Lily, his thoughts went over how much she has grown. To see her plump cheeks get doughed up whenever she smiles, it warms his heart.

‘She’s growing so fast, I think she was so much smaller this morning.’

It was at that moment Lily woke up, blinking her eyes and stretching her hands towards Harry. She moved her feet and arms with all might, as if trying to get Harry to pick her up in his arms while he just watched her quietly, not used to picking her up because he’s afraid he’ll scare her away. 

“Da-Da.”

Seeing that her dad was not gonna carry her, she moved her feet more fast and her voice grew louder, hinting she was going to cry any moment. But he didn’t want to disturb his sleeping wife, so he fidgeted a little before picking her up. “Lily, my little girl,” he said as he kissed her forehead.

Lily enjoyed being in his arms so much that she began to babble which woke you up. Seeing them interact touched your heart. Harry really tried to understand what she was trying to say, but he couldn’t so he could just chuckle as he stroked her soft hair, “Little angel, I wonder when I’ll be able to talk to you.” 

iii. where lily loves touching his wings

“Soft,” Lily cooed as she played gently with Harry’s wings, running her fingers over each. 

He cannot even stop her from touching his wings when he feels a shiver because he’s literally gone for her. “Tickle Dada?” Lily laughed as she touched the spot again.

“Mmh,” he only chuckled before raising her in his arms, “So pretty, Angel of mine.” He kissed her forehead before tickling her sides, loving the sound of her laughter. 

koh!harry taglist: @damnasstyles @harrysgloves @enchantedprincess

[scvrllet]

General Harry Potter Headcanons Because Why Not

CONTAINS: Mentions of death/murder, small implications of abuse, and that's about it I'm sure. These are also general headcanons and are not reader inserts

AUTHORS NOTE: All headcanons are my own personal ones except for those marked with (*) which are popular one's I've read online. Enjoy! [HP MASTERLIST]

Newt Scamander, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy are on the aspec spectrum because I am asexual and said so. (Extras; Luna is grey-ace while Hermione and Draco are demi)

Regulus flinches when someone raises their hand quickly and gets scared when someone that he is close to goes silent (whether it be after an argument or for no reasons). He tries to hide it but they can usually see right through his act. They all know Walburga did a number on him no matter how much she may have favored him over Sirius

Speaking of Walburga, the reason she hates Sirius so much is that she sees a lot of herself in him. She didn’t want to get married to Orion, she had her own lover who was a Halfblood or Muggleborn but Orion found out and, wanting to keep the bloodline pure, proposed to her knowing she would be shunned if she denied. She became much more cold and strict once they got married, much to Orion's pleasure. When Sirius was later born and she saw so much of her younger self in him, her love for him quickly turned to envy. On the night Sirius ran away, Walburga kept her composure until night fell and she cried. Cried because he was able to do what she wasn't able to, cried because he was hopefully happier, and cried because she had officially lost her first child. She avoids his burnt off portrait on the family tree for this reason

Harry and Cho often found each other in the library late at night when both couldn't sleep. Harry would be sat at a table far away trying to do homework in attempt to distract himself and Cho would be reading a book. One night, Cho came up to his table with two cups of tea and took the seat across from him. Harry didn't say anything but she caught his small smile. They made it a routine every night for whoever gets to their table last has to bring tea and biscuits (and without getting caught by anyone). They would be exhausted when morning Quidditch practice came but it never stopped their late night meet ups in the library. When she started dating Cedric however, those late nights in the library together stopped. Harry would only go to the library when he struggled to sleep from the nightmares and such but there was no longer a cup of tea and bag of biscuits for him and when Cedric died, he hesitated before getting out of bed and heading down the tower. When he arrived to their spot in the library and saw a familiar figure sitting in the seat that has been vacant for so long, he felt his heart ache. Setting down two cups of tea, a bag of biscuits, and a book he knew she loved to read when she needed comfort, he didn't know how to react when she stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as she cried. Taken aback by the sudden action, it took him a moment before wrapping his arms around her and letting her cry until she no longer could

In the afterlife, the first person Sirius saw was Regulus. He offered nothing but his extended hand and after a short moment of eying the boy Sirius once called brother, he grabbed it and pulled him to his chest in a hug. That was the first time Sirius had ever seen his brother cry

Killing Marlene was what got Peter his dark mark* and every time he finds himself missing his friends, he'll look at his forearm and remind himself that he has no right to. And every time the dark mark is cast in the sky or used to call upon Voldemort, he hears Marlene scream

Draco was chased by the peacocks outside Malfoy Manor at least once. If you saw my post about this last year (this one), I still fully believe that this has had to happen before

Regulus was an animagus. His form took the form of a cat, more well known as Crookshanks*

Remus was actually good friends with Regulus during their Hogwarts years. They wouldn't say much, but it was enough to put Regulus at ease knowing that his brother was doing well*

Speaking of the Black Brothers, a pile of unopened letters sealed with the Black family crest sat in a drawer of Sirius' desk before he was arrested. Sirius never got the chance to read the letters signed "Your brother, R.A.B"

On James and Lily's wedding day, the two spent the entire morning before together, much to Lily's mothers dismay who believed it was 'bad luck to see the bride before the wedding'. The young couple brushed it off, not quite believing in those "silly beliefs" but perhaps she was right all along.

After graduating Hogwarts, Harry went to his parents vault and Gringotts and found several items left behind but what caught his eye was a photo, hidden in plain sight. It was in a small frame and the photo itself was of a women with red hair, green eyes and a kind smile sitting beside a man who had messy black locks and brown eyes. The women had her head resting on the mans shoulder, smiling as she looked at the child in his arms. Enchanted to move, Harry watched as the man made the child give the women a kiss. Harry didn't realize he was crying until a tear fell onto the photo and he quickly went to wipe it away, scared he would ruin the photo

During his years at Hogwarts, after he ran away more specifically, Sirius got many tattoos. Each and everyone had a special meaning to them that all his friends knew but no one could quite understand the significance of the tattoo on his upper forearm that was just a single raven bird. Back at 12 Grimmauld Place, Regulus smiled at the ravens perched outside his window. They were always his favourite bird

And that’s all for now! :))

[ilove-cedricdiggory]

I love you, mum

Remus Lupin x Reader

Requested - Noppe

Summary - Remus Lupin was the love of your life, right? You thought so, that was, until he came home from an order mission finding you pregnant and hating it with his entire being. Can you handle that?

Trigger Warning - cursing, mentions of abortion, mentions of pregnancy, rude as hell Remus.

This one is kinda lengthy, so, fairwarning. I'ma make it a series, so, Part 1!

There he stood, right before you, his bag packed as your eyes watered. "I know 'm love, but you know how the order is. I don't get to pick when I go." He took you into his arms, his hand immediately running through your hair.

You both were 24 now, honestly surprised with the way time had flown by even with the pending war surrounding you. He, James, and Sirius were going to investigate a lead, one that involved the fourth member of their family from Hogwarts, Peter.

The night Peter was trusted with James, Lily, and Harry's lives, Voldemort had shown up, prepared to murder them in cold blood. The only thing stopping him that night was that you, Remus, and Sirius paid a surprise visit to your favorite new family, wanting Harry to experience a Halloween as normal as you all could make it.

Harry had been zooming through on his broom in his Kinmare Kestrels costume, the five of you cheering him on as if he was in the middle of a quidditch game himself. Voldemort had made himself known quite quickly, assuming the three of them were on their own, but was met with a small army, prepared to protect your family.

Now, Remus was leaving to go find Peter, along with looking into how deep his dedicated now lied with the monster attempting to rule your world.

"I'm going to be back before you know it. I'll be nice and safe, and I'll be home after this months turn, so we won't even have to worry about that when I come home." You nodded, but teared up at that.

"But, who'll patch you up and kiss all your bruises?" You asked softly, pushing back some of his hair to gaze into his eyes. "'M sure James and Sirius will be more than happy to help me out like they used to, although I don't think either will kiss the bruises - not that I'd want them to." He grimaced at the thought of one of his two best friends kissing each healing wound on his skin after a horrible night of turning.

"Just, come back safe, okay? Don't do anything stupid, don't let Sirius talk you into doing something irrational, don't let James cry too much about Lily and Harry either, please. I can't even imagine how they're doing. Just come back safe to me." You kissed him softly, pulling him closer to your body, only wrapped in a robe, holding him as close to you as you could.

"Of course sweets. You be safe too, go see Lily and Harry, go see Molly and the kids, don't stay cooped up in here missing me. I'm sure Molly would love to bake with you and I'm sure Lily would be more than happy to eat at much as she can, especially now that we all know she's pregnant again." He laughed softly, kissing your forehead.

"Okay, okay, go, before I lock you in the house and break your wand so you can't leave." He chuckled, wiping a few stray tears from your face as he kissed you one last time before moving to leave the comfort of the home the two of you built together.

Five minutes without him had you sobbing and feeling empty.

Six days without him had you throwing up.

Two weeks without him had you taking a pregnancy test.

Two weeks and three minutes without him had you sobbing as the plus sign on the test.

Three weeks without him had you hiding it from your best friend.

Four weeks without him had you looking for the baggiest of his sweaters and wishing he would finally come home.

Five weeks without him had you shaking in fear, fear of your growing stomach and fear of the second turn he would be fulfilling away from home.

Six weeks without him had you going to the appointment without him, without anyone knowing.

Six weeks and two days without him had you sobbing.

Six weeks, two days, and thirty four minutes had you screaming in joy as you wrapped your arms and legs around his warm hold, clutching onto him with dear life.

"Remus John Lupin!" You yelled, tears falling harder as you felt the worries of him being dead in a hole left your shoulders.

"Oh my sweet love, I've got you, yeah? I've finally got you." He whispered. Your arms were tight on his frame, holding him like you were afraid this was a dream, for him to fade away and leave you once more.

He had walked you to your bed, sitting on it with you set in his arms, his nose sniffing your hair, letting your scent calm him and moony. "Oh my girl, I've missed you so much." He whispered, your tears finally slowing. "I've missed you, bubs." You whispered, your eyes meeting his to press your lips upon his, holding his face close to yours.

Silence filled the room, his hands wandering your skin, making sure each inch of it was the same as he remembered. He didn't falter, until his hands slipped under his sweater, feeling the bump under his hands.

"The fuck?" He whispered, pulling away from you. "What's going on?" He asked you, his eyes sharp on your own.

"Um." You said, your head falling and you stared at your hands. "'M pregnant, Moons." You whispered, moving off of his lap to lift up the warm fabric, showing him your bump. "Twins." You said softly, looking up into his eyes.

"You're joking." He said, his voice void of emotion, it staying the same pitch with each syllable.

"Does it look like I'm joking? You're staring at the bump. I haven't told anyone, waiting for you to get home." You were waiting for a smile to break out on his face, for his eyes to light up, for him to wrap you in his arms once more and spin you and gently as he could before bending down and kissing your belly once - twice - three times.

But, it didn't happen.

Two minutes after he knew had you silent.

Three minutes after he knew had you shuffling back from foot to foot.

Four minutes after he knew had your eyes welling up with tears.

Five minutes after he knew had you breaking the silence, your voice louder than expected.

"Say something, Rem!" You yelled, flinching at the sound of your own tone.

"I - uh." He said, one of his hands moving down his face to attempt to shake the shock from it. "No." He said after another moment, standing up and moving across the room.

"No, we aren't having a kid, let alone two! No!" He paced back and forth, shaking his head. "No way. We're gonna have to figure something else out." He spoke, stopping to think, his face pointing up at the sky. "I'm sure there's something we can do to fix this." He said, finally turning to look at you.

"Fix this? There is nothing to fix, you prick!" You yelled, tears falling once more, but for a much different reason. "I'm fucking pregnant, this isn't something you fix!"

His eyes grew angry, glaring at you like never before. "You know how I feel about having kids! No!" He shouted, his tone matching yours.

"Fuck you." You whispered, shaking your head. You picked your wand up from your bedside table, flicking it once before a suitcase appeared and clothes began filling into it.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice monotoned once more.

"Leaving." You spoke the word, shivering at the idea of it. But, once the bag was packed, your hand wrapped around it's handle, you quickly turned on your heel, unsure of apparating out of the flat while pregnant.

"Where are you going?" His voice was slightly softer now, the actions of the moment catching up to him.

Before exiting the place you called home, more so, leaving the person you called home, you whispered. "I dunno."

Your wand was held out, summoning the Knight Bus, letting you onto it and paying the fee before looking at the man before you.

"Where to?" He asked, his left eyebrow raised at you.

You didn't think you could go to Lily and James, not wanting to face Lily's wrath towards Remus along with her hurt for not knowing about your pregnancy. You couldn't turn to Sirius, knowing he would hate his best friend in a way you could never want for the man you loved.

"The burrow, please."

The bus took you there after dropping off the two people before you, assisting you with your bag to the front door before disappearing.

Your hand shook as you knocked, but heard the pitter patter of the feet of her many children before a yell from the woman herself. "I don't know who's at the door! Charlie can you please change Ginny!"

The door flung open, revealing the woman to you. "Oh! Y/n!" She spoke, her face breaking out into a warm, wonderful smile before letting you in. "I haven't seen you for a little while, I was about to send an owl your way." She said, leading you into the home and back into the kitchen where the smell of Mince Pies filled your nose.

"'M sorry, Molly. A lots happened."

With tears in your eyes, you stood before Molly, the woman you saw as your own mother. The woman who celebrated with you when Remus asked you out. The woman who held you when you cried after your first argument with the man. The woman you had planned to tell about your pregnancy, but feeling your heart break each day you waited to tell her.

You had it all planned out. You were going to show up with Remus, once he found out and the two of you celebrated, wearing a sweater that covered your bump - much like the one you still wore. You would be holding two bags, one for each of the parents you loved so much, with a shirt for them both with the words "first time grandparent" on it.

But now, you had to tell this woman that you had kept your pregnancy from her for this long, your spouse had practically told you to get rid of the babies, and that you had left him.

"Molly, I'm pregnant." You whispered, pulling his sweater up to show the adamant bump. "And Remus wants me to get rid of them, so I left him." Your voice was breaking, shaking, and terrified of what you were to do now.

Her eyes filled with tears of her own, her arms wrapping around your frame and holding you to her. Molly Weasley: Best Hugs. She held you for a minute, letting your sobs fall from your body, holding your shaking frame. Once you calmed down as much as she thought you would, she sat you down on the kitchen chairs.

"Oh, sweet girl. I'm so sorry." Her wand flicked, bringing you a warm cup of tea before she settled in the seat beside you. "You're more than welcome to stay here. We can move Charlie in with Bill and you can take his room. You know you're more than welcome to." Her voice was soft and sincere, looking at you with the look you wished your fiance had looked at you with. Her hand reached to tuck a stray piece of hair behind your ear before moving it down to press softly against your growing stomach.

"Molly, you know I can't do that. I wouldn't want to put Charlie out of his room. Plus, I'm going to be getting bigger and eating more soon, I don't want to be in the way." You explained, watching as she shook her head. "In no way would you be in the way. Plus, I'd love to be here with you through this!" She exclaimed, taking your hand in hers.

"Honestly, Molly, I don't want him to find me." You admitted softly, your heart hurting at the truth. You hated how he had talked to you, how easily it was for him to suggest he "took care of it". It hurt you to your core. He was the man you thought would stand beside you through everything. Through the fears of financial trouble, through the happiness of your own home, through your pregnancy. But now, you were all alone. Your soul felt cold, the warmth he provided now long gone, leaving a feeling as cold as the harshest winter in it's place.

"Oh, honey, I understand." She said softly, nodding.

After another minute or two with the wonderful woman, you looked at her. "Molly, could I use some parchment and a quill? And your owl? I wanna write to Lily." You said softly, hating to intrude, but knowing that with one person told, that would soon turn into two, then 9, then everyone else you could imagine.

"Of course love! Of course! Bill, bring me some parchment and a quill please, y/n needs it!"

Bill soon came in, hanging you the items you requested before rushing back outside to play with his siblings. "You can go sit in the living room and write, okay?" She pushed back your hair, smiling at you before allowing you to walk off, going to write a letter for James and Lily, along with one for Sirius.

Your hand was shaking as you pondered what to write to your best friends. How do you explain that you're pregnant with their best friend's kids, that he doesn't want them, and that you've left him, all in the same day that they got home?

You set your fears aside and wrote to your best friends, letting everything out that you could.

Dear Lily and James

I'm so glad you're safe, James, I was so incredibly worried. I'm so happy you're back home with Lily and Harry.

You guys might be wondering why I'm not using our owl, that's actually what I was writing you about. I left Remus. Before you're freaking out and such, I'm also pregnant. He wanted me to "take care of it". His words, not mine.

It's twins. I don't know the genders yet, but I'm 6 weeks along. Absolutely huge though. That's a lie, I just feel huge. I can still wear one of his sweaters to cover the bump. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, Lils. I wanted to wait until Rem got home and us be able to tell you both together. Don't worry, I'm writing Sirius about it too.

I don't know where I'm gonna stay, if I'm being honest with you. I'm at Molly's right now, but I'm not staying long. I'm not staying at yours either - especially not with you pregnant too Lily, and with Harry. I can't do that to you guys. Plus, like I told Molly, I don't want Remus to know where I am.

I know that might seem wrong, but he wants me to get rid of them. I can't ever do that. They are apart of me, apart of us both. I'm growing these two precious beings that are half of us and full of our love - well, my love. How am I supposed to look him in the eyes and see him hate me as I grow our kids.

I'll write you both after I'm settled somewhere, but this will be my only letter until then. I love you both so, so much. Give Harry a kiss from me.

You folded the letter up and wrote one quite similar to Sirius before tying them to Errol and sending him off to your three best friends.

You stood and waddled back to find Molly with Fred and George outside, scolding them for attempting to get Ron to fly on their broom and hit the Bludger before it hit him.

"This is what I have to look forward to, huh?" You asked, a light smile on your face.

"Oh yeah, they're twice the trouble." She laughed, smiling. Fred and George smiled at that, proud to have caused Mischief in their family. "But they give you twice the love." She spoke, watching as they ran off while their mother was distracted.

The two off you walked towards the house once more, talking. "Did you decide what you want to do?" She asked finally, looking at you.

"I'm going to the states. I have some family there that I want to go visit, one with a guest house that I can stay in. I owled to them when I sent Lily and James one." You stood before her, tears welling up.

"You better come see me all the time still, send me pictures of you growing. Send me the address so we can come see you, especially in America! Don't let me go without seeing you growing my grandbabies." You nodded, wrapping her up in your hold.

"I won't, I swear. I'll send you so many owls, you're gonna think I am living with you." She kissed your temple, holding your cheeks.

"Okay, I put your bag upstairs in Bill's room, just as a precaution. Do you want me to go get it or-" she was cut off with a frantic knock, the hits not stopping.

"I'll go get it, that sounds urgent." You both laughed softly, your swollen feet carrying you up the stairs and to Bill's room, grabbing your suitcase before heading down the stairs.

"Molly, where is she. I just want to see her." You heard Lily speak, her voice hurried.

"Sirius, let me go! She's in there, I know she is!" Remus yelled, his voice carrying up the stairs.

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit." You mumbled, looking around the stairs for some kind of hidden passage. It's a wizard and witch house, how is there not a hidden passage?" You reached for your wand, your eyes squeezing shut as you realized you set it down to write to your friends.

"Stop it! All four of you!" Molly yelled, her voice sharp. "There is a woman in my home who is pregnant and does not need this kind of stress. Now, I will ask her if and who she would like to see."

While she was speaking, you creeped down the rest of the stairs and slipped into the living room, grasping your wand.

"Worse than my own kids, I swear." You heard her mumble before walking towards the living room. "Y/n, dear? I'm sure you've heard them by now but the boys and Lily -" she cut herself off, her eyes finding you holding your wand and suitcase, your eyes welled up with tears and your lip between your teeth.

"I love you, Mum." You whispered, before clutching your belly in protection with your arm holding your suitcase, apparating from the warm home.

[justyoursimpleflower]

A Tiny Human Being

Summary:- Due to work and other things, Sirius' and Remus' daughter wasn't getting enough attention, this is a movement they spent together.

Warnings:- None, though if anything please inform me.

A/N:- a short thing about wolfstar with a daughter because I haven't been active. This is pure fluff.

Getting out of Hogwarts and joining the Order of Phoenix was something Remus and Sirius regretted now that they had a small human being, their daughter. Of course muggles would be suprised how two men had a biological daughter, but magic makes anything happen.

They were continuously going here and there with missions, and had to leave her with their other friends, whoever was free, to take care of her.

Finally done with the day's work both of them apparted to the Potters' to pick you up. Sirius' arm made its way around Remus' waist after Remus' knocked the door. Hearing the rustling from behind the door, both of them smiled, knowing that it was probably James on his own with two kids, as Lily had a night shift at St.Mungos.

When the door opened a very dishevelled looking James Potter stared back at them. They didn't want to laugh at him but a chukle tumbled pass their lips before they could stop it, and when they saw his glare, they laughed out loud.

"Ha, Ha, Ha, very funny."

Both the men just grinned back at his sarcastic remark and moved inside, with him, James following them behind.

"So, what's with the look?" Sirius asked trying his best to hide his smirk but failing anyways.

James rolled his eyes and said,

"Harry is being fussy. I reckon he needs to get outside and have some fresh air, but I couldn't do that with both of them. Also, for the fact, that Lily banned me from taking out any of them out, she said and I quote, 'you will make them bratty and snobby,' after the first time I took them out and gave them anything they showed even a mild interest in."

Remus laughed and said, "Well, she isn't wrong though."

"Bet my daughter—"

"Our." Remus corrects

Sirius rolled his eyes and said,

"Yes, our daughter didn't make any fuss. She just too sweet for that, too adorable to cause any ruckus. She must have been very good."

Remus smiled fondly at the proud smile on Sirius' face, as he talked about their precious small human being.

James frowned then slowly said,

"Actually, today was pretty bad with Moonfoot..."

All of them stopped outside the room in which the children were, Remus and Sirius turned towards their best mate, now frowning.

"What happend today?" Remus asked.

"She was crying all the day, I think she misses you both, after all, you all spend so much time less together, she kept crying, I tried really hard but she won't stop and in the end she tired herself from crying and fell asleep."

Sirius looked down in shame and so did Remus. Their daughter missed them.

Remus took one of Sirius' hand and interlaced fingers with him.

"I think we need a day off with our daughter."

Sirius nodded and smiled at his husband.

"Okay."

James clapped his hands and said,

"So let's go and see the children!"

He opened the door and they were greeted by the sight of a babbling baby Harry in crib where along with him laid a small girl with chestnut hair and rose tinted cheeks. A small nose making her big round cheeks look more adorable.

"Aw, my moonfoot looks so cute while sleeping." Sirius said, wiping a fake tear and pressing his other hand on his chest.

Remus pursued his lips, annoyed at his husband and said,

"Your heart is on the other side Padfoot, and call her one more time yours, I'll give you divorce."

They were broke from the trance when they heard a small giggle from the other side of the room.

The moment was adorable enough that even the most evil person would take a moment to pinch their cheeks and coo at them.

Harry was now in a sitting position and making funny noises which made several giggles tumble through the lips of, now awake, Selena Lupin-Black.

Her big silver-grey eyes shining with pure joy and her giggles a pure harmony.

She didn't notice her fathers standing there with the softest expression on their faces and pure happiness in their eyes but James did.

"Padfoot, I think we are going to be future in-laws." James joked but his smile faded when he saw the sour expression on Sirius' face.

"Keep bambi away from my daughter, will you? I don't want any guy around my innocent daughter."

He moved towards the crib and scooped Selena in his arms, which made her giggle harder, causing a happy expression to form on Sirius' face. Her small hands and tiny arms made frantic gestures while she babbled, some what angrily to her father.

"Looks like she's complaining about the lack of attention she gets from you." Remus joked and made his way towards his husband, followed by James, who took a pissy looking Harry in his arms.

Then Selena did something that almost bought tears of happiness in every adult's eyes. She moved her tiny arms around Sirius and tried to bring herself closure to his face. When she was close enough, she wrapped or tried to wrap her small arms around his neck. Bringing her face closure to his she let her small, round, rosy cheek rest against Sirius', as if trying to hug him.

Maybe it was a small gesture from her but it bought Sirius nearly to tears. He hugged her tighter which made her giggle, getting lost in his father's arms.

"You are the most precious baby my little moon." He whispered to her ear, though she didn't understood it, she just laughed with her arms still around him.

Remus was the most happiest, seeing the pure form of innocent love, he fell in love with his daughter a little bit more, as if she haven't had him wrapped around his tiny fingers since the day she was born.

"Alright, it's my chance for a hug now." Remus announced before taking Selena in his arms, who happily obliged unlike her Dada.

Remus pressed first many small kisses around her face, making her giggle and then place a smothering kiss on her chubby cheeks.

"Did you miss us, love?"

Remus asked cooing at her and kissing her one more time at her cheeks. Though she didn't understand what he meant, she started happily jumping and frantically waving her arms in the air.

"Alright, I get it you are excited."

A small yawn passed her lips, which made everyone chuckle. Harry had already slept in his father's arm, in between the time, his godparents showered love on their daughter. James had put him on his bed and left the couple to have some alone time with their daughter.

"You just got up from a nap, and you are tired."

"You are saying like you aren't always tired, Moony." Sirius grinned cheekily at his husband to which in response he just rolled his eyes.

"Padfoot, I think we need to spend some more time with her, she needs it. And also because she's adorable."

Sirius smiled, happy for everything he had now. A husband, a beautiful daughter, his brother and his best mates. Everything was perfect.

It has became one of the best days of their lives, just because of a tiny human being.

[sweeethinny]

Happy Birthday, Harry Potter!

following the tradition I started almost a year ago (it will be a year on Ginny's birthday), here it is, a fanfic to celebrate this date!

Harry Potter is probably the fictional character I'm most attached to.

Flynn for Fleamont, Albus still with the same name (I think Albus is a beautiful name, let's forget the meaning and there's no Severus), Ruby for Rubeus <3

--------

‘‘Smile at the photo!’’

‘’I thought we were going to sing now.’’

"We will, but first, just smile... Yes, get closer... Perfect."

‘'We can start?'’

"Dad, you're getting old."

"I know, I realized that when you told me the same thing last night."

"Don't talk to your dad like that, Al, old people don't like to be reminded that they're old." Ginny smiled, brown eyes flashing towards him. ‘‘Come on, everyone! Happy Birthday to you…’’

Everyone started to sing, the same disorganized mess as usual, with Sirius and Remus whistling, his dad taking a bunch of pictures that were probably going bad but that he was going to display in the frame anyway, and the kids - who weren't kids anymore - starting to argue about the first piece of cake.

Harry was happier than ever.

It had been a nice day, they had traveled to their country house so there would be no unpleasant interruptions from curious people like on his 35th birthday, and they would spend the weekend having fun, enjoying the family, fishing, telling stories and laughing. It was the best way to celebrate his 41st birthday, and Harry was feeling like the happiest man in the world.

When the song ended and everyone looked forward to him blowing out the candle, Harry thought of all the years that had passed, and how things had improved since then. He looked at the children in front of the table, eagerly waiting to eat as usual, then at Ginny who was smiling at some picture James had taken, and Lily who was watching him with a smile very similar to his own, but a little older and wiser.

There wasn't much to ask for; he had his family, his parents, and all the people he loved and thought important to have there. He had nothing more to ask for.

May everything continue to be fine. He thought, closing his eyes and blowing out the candles, hearing the screams and howls and barely managing not to laugh.

"Happy birthday Dad, I love you so much." Albus was the first to come, which Harry was glad because he wasn't at an age for many outpourings of love.

‘'I love you too, my boy, so much.'’

‘‘And I wanted to know-’’

“Albus, stop hogging Dad,” Flynn pushed his brother away, already nearly as tall as Harry, a sly smile on his face. The same smile that had gotten him into so many other problems that year. Harry hadn't forgotten that. "Happy birthday, my old man." He opened his arms, far more willing to show affection than his brothers. ‘’Forty-one, huh? Almost time for retirement.'’

“Yeah, I'm thinking about starting to worry about putting my room downstairs. My knee is not the same anymore.” Harry hugged him, laughing at the boy's courage.

'’I love you.'’

"Me too, boy."

"Get out," Ruby shoved them both, but Harry was willing to ignore that because his little girl was only thirteen, and he didn't want to fight anyone on his birthday. 'Happy Birthday, Dad. If you weren't my dad, I'd hit the imposter and go after you.”

"I'm glad about it, my love." Harry chuckled, hugging her and thinking his babies were growing up too fast for him to like it.

‘'Forty years… It seems like yesterday that I thought your grandfather was going to kill me because I got his daughter pregnant.'’ His dad smiled from ear to ear, looking happy that his moment had finally arrived in the hug line, his mother was to the side and Lily also laughed at the memory, nodding.

'’Dad was furious, we thought he was really going to kill James.’' She had tears in her eyes, and Harry felt like a child again, running to his parents in the morning of his birthday and trying to guess the presents, excited by the schedule of the day. "I know I always say that, but I'm so proud of the man you've become."

"And I always say it's thanks to both of you." Harry kissed her forehead and then James, who was already crying. He became a man who got emotional easily after all the stress of the war, and every birthday, New Year and Christmas, James would cry. But Harry understood, he also needed to choke back tears at various times when he realized how far he was going.

When you were 15 years old and had already faced so many things, you doubted that you would be alive until the next year, let alone 41 years old.

"We love you so much, but I hope this year the cake doesn't have peachy," James joked, just to ease the slightly morbid vibe that had befallen them.

"No, chocolate," Harry soothed, chuckling along with Lily as they saw James turn towards the table, seeming to catch the children's eagerness to eat. Harry noticed that Albus had been hanging around the cake since the time Ginny arrived from the shop with him.

‘'Thank God! Excuse me, let me cut a piece then… Come here kids!’’

"Shouldn't you be the one cutting the cake?" Lily caught his eye, and Harry shook his head.

"Let him spoil his grandchildren a little more," he shrugged. "They'll probably go to bed early after they get sugary in their bodies."

‘‘Yeah, probably… You always fell asleep right after eating too much cake. It was our secret weapon for when we needed a few minutes of peace.” They both laughed, Harry now understanding what they had been through, but he still doubted that as a child he had as much energy as his kids had.

It looked like the three had an infinite battery.

"I'm glad to be here." Lily hugged him again, and again, Harry understood what she meant.

His parents had seen a lot, and the question of whether they would be able to survive the War was something Harry knew had haunted them as much as it had haunted him.

‘'I say the same… I wouldn't be anything without you and Dad.'’ He whispered, just because saying it too loudly aroused a sadness in him that Harry didn't like to think about, as the fear that his parents would die during the War was something that lingered in his mind for too long to be pleasant. "And neither do the kids." They watched James hand each one a piece of cake, ranting about how it had been the first time he'd fished with his father. Flynn seemed to be the most interested, his brown eyes flashing towards his grandfather.

‘’Let the others hug the birthday boy, Lily! There are more people in line!’’ Sirius yelled after Hestia, who rolled her eyes and looked at Harry as if she said, ‘'Don't worry, take your time.'’

‘‘Don't be a jerk, Pads. Ginny, can you…?” James walked back to Harry, putting his arm around Harry's shoulders and smiling as Ginny pointed the camera, the three of them posing for the photo. Harry knew that by the end of the party there would probably be another hundred, but he didn't care, it was important to keep those memories. And Lily had bought a new album that was barely two pages full, so they clearly needed more.

"Come here dear…" Lily and James walked out of there, James proudly taking the camera and going to where Ginny had been before. "Kids go with your dad, that's it, everybody together." Harry smiled again, ignoring when Albus nudged Flynn and whispered that he was getting taller, or when Ruby cursed them for pulling her braids.

Today he wouldn't mind that, it was his forty-one birthday and it was a happy day.

"Happy birthday my love," Ginny whispered after James took the picture, kissing Harry's cheek. ‘'You may be getting old, I know, but I still feel the same way I did when I stuck my elbow in butter because of you.'’ Another flash came, now just the two of them there, and Harry kissed her, definitely knowing he was the happiest man in the world.

Erised's mirror would probably show something very similar to reality - perhaps Harry had a more muscular stomach and less gray hair.

'’Thank you for being with me. I love you, and I still feel like that stupid teenager who dreamed of you and needed a cold shower at seven in the morning to get to class.” They both laughed, and another flash came toward them. These photos would make great frames.

"That hasn't changed much, has it?" She raised her eyebrows mischievously.

'Not. It hasn't changed much.” He shrugged.

Harry sighed, watching as Ginny winked at him and let Sirius come over to hug him, still smiling mischievously in his direction. Yeah, his sixteen-year-old self would be very proud of how far he's come.

[drarrily-we-row-along]

Day 26: Broken Bone

Draco was in the middle of a rather complicated potion when Harry's stag patronus appeared, galloping through the walls.

His heart immediately leapt to his throat.

"St. Mungos," Harry's voice said. "Come quick as you can, it's Lily."

Draco barely had the presence of mind to douse the fire and put stasis charm on his potion; it wouldn't prevent it from being ruined but it would prevent it from stinking up their entire basement. He didn't bother changing his clothes, or straightening his hair, or even tidying his hands; he just apparated to the apparation point outside of St. Mungos and rushed in.

His daughter was in trouble and he would move heaven and hell for her.

When he reached the information desk, the wizard seated there gave him a disdainful look, he clearly recognized him but Draco didn't have time to worry about it. "I'm here to see my daughter, Lily Potter-Malfoy."

The man looked down at the charts briefly, "I don't have any patients here by that name."

Draco ground his teeth, "Lily Narcissa Potter-Malfoy," he repeated, "She would have come in with my husband Harry Potter-Malfoy. He sent me a patronus a few moments ago and I'm certain he wouldn't have gotten the hospital wrong. Could you please check again." It wasn't a request.

"Yeah," the man said. Again, hardly glancing down, "I'm sure."

Draco took a deep breath, trying to be patient, knowing it would only make things worse if he demanded that he be shown to his daughter's room.

"Oh, Mr. Potter-Malfoy," a voice called and he looked over to see a mediwitch heading toward him, "This way if you please, your husband will be so relieved that you're here."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Draco spat, glaring at the man behind the desk who had paled considerably. "I was just told that Lily and Harry Potter-Malfoy were not here."

The mediwitch looked over at the man at the desk.

"Sorry," he said, "Did you say Harry Potter?"

"No," he replied, "I said Harry Potter Malfoy."

She was glaring daggers at the man behind the desk, realizing the last thing they'd want to do was piss off Harry Potter, Savior of the Wizarding World. "I apologize for the confusion," she said. "Your husband sent me to see if you were here. Please follow me."

He followed her down a short corridor and into a room, Harry was sitting in a chair with his head in his hands but otherwise the room was empty. Without thought, he brushed past the mediwitch and made his way to his husband. "What happened?" he asked, as he knelt in front of Harry, holding his face in his hands, "Is she alright?"

"Draco," he gasped, "Thank Merlin," Harry reached for his hand, his own hands shaking.

"Are you alright?"

He shook his head, "She fell on the playground. She was playing on the slide and she just," Harry was shaking so hard that it was making Draco even more afraid, "she fell over the side. I was at the bottom waiting for her to come down and I couldn't-"

"Shh," Draco soothed, stroking his hair back off his face, "It's not your fault. It could have happened to anyone."

"She cried the whole way here," Harry said. "She wouldn't stop crying."

"Okay," he said, "But crying is a good sign, right? It means she was conscious the whole time, did she hit her head?"

"No," he said, shaking his head fervently, "She broke her fall with her arm, but something must have really hurt. I think I heard a crack," he whispered

"Okay," Draco said, pressing a kiss to Harry's forehead, "It's okay."

"I shouldn't have taken her to the muggle playground," he said. "I just didn't want to get mobbed, I wanted her to be able to play."

"It's okay," Draco promised, rubbing Harry's hand, "It's all going to be okay."

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

Draco kissed his forehead, "You've nothing to apologize for, love."

"But I should have-" Harry started when they heard the sound of wheels and three-year-old chatter outside of the door. They both stood up, turning as their daughter appeared.

"Papa!" she shouted when she saw him, all smiles at the two of them.

"She's okay?" Harry asked as Draco scooped her up and pressed a kiss to her blonde curls.

"Yes," a second mediwitch confirmed, "Just a broken bone. We've set it to rights."

He passed her over to Harry, knowing that he needed to hold her, needed to reassure himself that she was alright.

Harry held her close, "Daddy is so sorry," he whispered.

"I got a lolly," she informed him.

Draco chuckled, "All forgiven, then," he said, rubbing a hand over his husband's back.

"We can go?" Harry asked the mediwitches still standing in the doorway.

"Yes," the one who'd gone to fetch Draco confirmed. "You're all set."

Harry looked over at her, "Oh, in all of the chaos, I forgot to ask, what was it that kept my husband from being directed straight to this room?"

The mediwitch grimaced, "A miscommunication at the desk with the man checking your husband in."

"A miscommunication," Harry said flatly.

Draco snorted and apparently that was all the confirmation Harry needed.

"I want him fired."

"But-"

"Or at the very least, moved to a position where he doesn't interact with people who are coming here for their loved ones. That is not acceptable behavior, barring someone from their family is unethical regardless of the way you perceive them."

"Of course," the second mediwitch replied. "Consider him transferred."

Harry nodded once, "See that he is," he said and Draco got a little shiver up his spine, he loved it when Harry was commanding. "Right, we'd best be off, then."

Draco rested his hand lightly on Harry's lower back as the three of them walked out of the room and headed down the corridor. When they were far enough away from the mediwitches, he said, "That wasn't entirely necessary."

"I can walk?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, love," Harry said, setting her down between them and holding her hand in his as she reached up to take Draco's as well. "It was necessary," Harry added, as they crossed the lobby. "I'm here all the time Draco, I won't have people who can stop you from getting to me working at the reception desk."

"I love you," Draco told him.

"I love you, too," Harry replied.

"I love you, too!" Lilly repeated.

Draco smiled, heart full of love for the family he still couldn't quite believe he had.

"How about some ice cream?" Harry said.

Lily cheered, and even though Draco knew it would spoil her dinner, he found (as he so often did) that he couldn't begrudge either of them anything.

As long as they were happy, safe, and together, that was all that mattered.

----------------

Day 25: Hiraeth | Day 27: Home

[harryissuchalittleshit]

Five Men Who Broke Lily's Heart And One Who Healed It

For training prompt Tuesday, @petalstosarah, I told you I would make it angsty. You can read it below the cut or on Ao3!

1. Michael Evans, 1971

Lily could remember the day her father left like the back of her hand.

It had been sometime in quiet days after Christmas, but before New Year’s. He had stood in the doorway, his suitcase packed, his jacket on, his life with them erased from the walls of their home. She would see him again, just a small handful of times, but it would never be the same. He would never be her father, not like how he had once been before.

Lily would cry for hours and hours and hours after. Christmas would never be the same after that. She would find ways to stay away from home, from her mother and sister during the most festive time of year.

Michael Evans would never return to them. He would never pick Lily up and spin her around in his arms again, he would never kiss Iris again, he would never wink at Petunia and smile as they shared their own private joke again. The thing was, he would never be in their life again, not as he used to be, as he wanted to be, no, the separation would never go away.

He wasn’t breaking just his eleven year old daughter’s heart, he was breaking up a family. He was showing his daughter’s that faithfulness wasn’t a thing. He was showing them that men couldn’t be trusted.

How could they? He wasn’t faithful to their mother, he wasn’t kind to her, he broke the trust they had once created.

He broke the trust his daughters had in him.

Michael Evans was the first man to ever break Lily’s heart, and she would remember that. She would remember him and that cold, cold morning when he left. Lily and Petunia sitting side-by-side at the top of the stairs, their mother, Iris standing at the bottom, trying to protect them even then.

Michael Evans would die a few years later, when Petunia had left the house and Lily was away at school. Iris would get the last laugh, but even then it wouldn’t be kind, it wouldn’t be nice.

Either way, the damage was done.

2. Remus Lupin, 1973

The next one would be Remus Lupin.

He wasn’t a man yet, just a kind sweet boy who was thirteen. He studied with her in the library, they passed notes in Arithmancy as none of their friends were with them. They spent hours and days together, just the pair of them, just having fun and discovering a new friendship.

Until it became too real.

Lily would forever keep the photo of her and Remus, taken a warm and sunny day, the pair of them studying in the library, only looking up at the sound of the shutter clicking. The camera was a gift from her father, old and worn down, but still able to make something beautiful.

She would always have a copy, it would be framed, it would move from home to home with Lily. A document of a friendship that she loved, that she cared about, that ended one horrible day over a discovery made public.

She wasn’t afraid of Remus, no one could be afraid of a boy that tucked in his sweaters, and owned more cardigans than shirts, and who sing ever Beatles song as long as he heard the first few notes. No one could be afraid of a boy whose smiles had to earned and his laughter fought with well timed jokes. No one could be afraid of a boy who slept like the dead and studied as if his life was in danger.

No one was afraid of Remus Lupin, but he wasn’t just Remus Lupin.

It wasn’t the admittance of the truth, it was the lie to cover it up. Lily hated being lied to, it made her feel like she was eleven and crying into her sister’s shoulder as their father left to never return again. Broken trust, from a broken man.

It would take almost a full year for Lily to let her guard down again around him, a year of apologizes and passed notes and studying in the library together. It would take a year of whispered conversations and explanations for everything to go back to how it was.

It would take time for the trust to reform.

3. Sirius Black, 1976

When people hear the name Sirius Black, they think trouble.

They don’t think of a broken boy, of a child thrown out of a broken home. They don’t think of tattoos and motorbikes and leather jackets. The first word is trouble, the second is Marauder, the third is brother.

For Lily, it’s unfaithful.

Lily had known him for five years at this point, she had classes with him, she had been partnered with him more times that she could count, she had held his hand after he received Howler after Howler. She didn’t know what it meant to be a Black, but she did know what it meant to not feel at home in your own childhood home.

She knew what it felt like to not belong.

And with that they bonded, they drank tea and told stories about their siblings and cousins and parents, they shared their life. They were friends because none of their other friends got it, they were friends because they needed someone else to understand.

The pact had been simple. They would write during the summers, swap war stories twice a week of their craziness. They would share what they knew, what they could tell, what the other could understand.

But after a week in, Lily got radio silence.

Another week passed, then another, then another, unanswered and unopened letters littered her desk. Worries went unchecked.

Her worries grew, they went into overdrive, she cried herself to sleep. This boy that she loved, that she cared about, that knew her and the life she lived, was forced into during the summer and holiday visits had abandoned her.

This boy who knew everything, who understood everything…he broke her heart in the most selfish way.

Sirius Black would come back, he would squeeze her hand when Howlers came to him at Hogwarts, he would cry on her shoulder when his brother would die years later, he would walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. But he would also take something from her that summer, that long and hot and cruel summer without the lifeline of someone who understood a bitchy sibling and parents who didn’t know how to love a child different than them.

It would take months for Lily to love him again, but she would fall for his heart break all over again. It would never be his charms and jokes and infectious laughter that earned her heart, it would be his familiar tragedy and the way he helped save her.

4. James Potter, 1977

The first time Lily ever kissed James Potter, it was because he broke her heart.

Years and years and years of mixed feelings, of fights and arguments that never seemed to blow over, of day dreams and pining looks and lingers touches. It had been stupid, all of it had been stupid.

Love was stupid.

It was overrated, irrational, and life ending. And yet she fell.

She fell because despite all of the fights, all of the day dreams, all of his smiles and rushed words and his stupid, stupid ticks, she had always loved him. He had the rights to her heart when they met at eleven on the Hogwarts Express. She, going away from everything she knew at top speed, and he, surging forward towards everything he wanted.

She had always been a sucker for kind eyes and a nice smile. She just didn’t realize it until it was much too late.

Until her heart ached whenever he was near, until her head grew dizzy when their arms brushed, until she looked at him and saw everything she could ever want. This was a boy, no man, that you did fall in love with at first sight. That you let kiss you in the rain on a cold November night. That you cried over in bed because you couldn’t sleep at night.

James Potter was a man that love touched and didn’t let go.

It took Lily much longer to realize that she should’ve.

He broke her heart with a kind smile, his hazel eyes bright with laughter, his hair a frizzy halo around his head. He was tall and tan and so beautiful that it hurt to look at him, it hurt to try and smile and pretend that her heart didn’t want him.

James Potter was a man that didn’t deserve rejection.

It would take another month for her to pluck up the courage to tell him. To whisper her love for him on the last warm day of the year. It would take her time for her heart to mend itself, for her brain to forgive the pain in not allowing herself to love him. It would take Lily the rest of her short life to forgive him.

It would only take a moment to kiss him though. She would remember the fire in her veins, the aching in her chest, the fuzziness in her head. She would remember the warmth of his hands, the soft feel of his lips, the small moan that he made when she touched his throat.

She would remember the feeling of her heart knitting itself back together, slowly and carefully, but enough to feel whole again.

5. Peter Pettigrew, 1980

It would be much too late when Lily realized that Peter Pettigrew was the reason for her biggest heartbreak.

It would be long after her son was born, with soft spikey black hair and tan skin and her green eyes. He would be talking and walking and laughing when Lily realized that the tiny little man with sad blue eyes and anger in his heart betrayed her.

Betrayed James, betrayed Harry.

He would cause her death, so young, so prematurely, so unnecessary.

He had made her son be marked as an equal, a baby boy with a toothy grin and bright eyes, a baby boy who smiled and found laughter in everything. A baby boy who called him wo-my and giggled when Peter threw him in the air and always fell asleep in his arms.

Peter had broken her heart when she heard the door blast open, when she heard James fall to the floor, when a man who hated her because of her birth killed her.

But she felt the sadness much earlier. Looking at Peter hurt, not in the way it once had with James, no, it hurt because he was growing smaller, thinner, paler. He was no longer happy, he shied away at smiles and laughter, he grew unfamiliar.

He broke her heart long before the mark appeared on his arm, his greatest shame.

He broke her heart, and somehow, it was like he knew before it all came to an end.

1. Harry Potter, 1981

“Mama loves you.”

Lily stared at her son, his chubby cheeks and dark hair, his tan skin and toothy smile, she stared at her own eyes and tried to find the strength to say something else. Her baby boy was going to die and it was her fault.

“Mama loves you Harry,” she whispered, hoping and wishing that he would know that she never wanted this for him. Her baby boy, her only child, she would never have another, she would never live pass this next moment.

Harry would never know her, never know James, he would never know the love she had for him.

One more man to break her heart.

Go ahead, break my heart. You can break it a thousand times if you so desire. It’s been yours break since the day we met.

She had once stood in front of James and told him that he could end her, break her heart over and over and over again. But even then the words hadn’t been meant for him, they were for Harry, they were for their son.

“Mama has had her heart broken so many times, Harry,” whispered Lily, desperate to get the words out, to let her baby boy know how much she loved him. “But you are the one that I’ll never be angry about, you are the one that I loved most.”

She wished that she could kiss James one last time; that she could hug Remus and tell him how much he meant to her; that she could cry into Sirius’ shoulder and hold his hand; that she could say goodbye to her father once again; that she could be the one to murder Peter.

She wished that her son could grow up loved and safe and protected.

She wished that she could hold him and never let him go, never put him down again.

She wished that the green light wasn’t the same shade as her eyes.

“Mama loves you Harry, forever and ever Heartbreaker.”

[chudleycanonficfest]

One Last Dance

Day 4, Story #1 is by @be11atrixthestrange

Title: One Last Dance Author/Artist: be11atrixthestrange Pairing: Jily  Prompt: Halloween Rating: T Trigger Warning(s) (if any): implied character death

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Harry was fussier than usual on Halloween night. Bath time was an ordeal, as Harry kept knocking the shampoo bottle out of Lily’s hand and splashing water at her. Afterward, the child almost refused to fall asleep; he wriggled in her arms and tugged on her hair as she swaddled him. Just because he couldn’t speak full sentences yet didn’t mean he couldn’t communicate; he did so with his eyes, and Lily swore there was a smirk on his face as she rocked and sang to him, until he finally drifted off.

Lily didn’t mind a fussy baby, in fact, she enjoyed the challenge. She cherished every extra moment with her child, and at exactly fifteen months, Harry’s newfound spunk was nothing but evidence of his emerging personality. He had her eyes, and she wondered if he’d get James’ messy hair, horrid eyesight, and infuriating charm. She grinned at the thought of a sassy and sarcastic Harry, star of the quidditch team, just like his dad. Or maybe he’d be more like Lily; sensitive and studious, top of his class, future Head Boy. 

Of course, there could be nothing remarkable about him at all. He could turn out to be average, maybe even terrible at sports, or join weird clubs and get below-average marks. Even then, if her son came home for the summer excited about a slew of ‘acceptables’, or stressed about Gobstones club drama, he’d still be the coolest person Lily knew. 

Whatever he turned out to be — head boy, quidditch captain, super-nerd, or even squib — Lily couldn’t wait to find out. It was funny how determined she had been to never admit her feelings for James Potter. Her feelings were always there, but that boy had to work hard for her affection. All Harry had to do was laugh, or sneeze, or wrap his tiny fingers around her pinky, and Lily was a goner.

With the stubborn child finally asleep, Lily shuffled downstairs to find that James had already cleaned up dinner in the kitchen and was pouring two generous glasses of wine, almost as if he read her mind. 

He beamed when he saw her — one of her favorite things about him was that he made no effort to hide his feelings, ever — and slid the glass across the countertop. 

“What’s the occasion?” she asked, raising the glass to her lips. It was bitter to the taste but relented into a friendlier, fruitier flavor once Lily committed to a sip. 

She never knew she could relate so much to a glass of wine. 

“Halloween,” said James. “I know you love it, and I’m sorry we couldn’t celebrate the muggle way.”

Halloween was always Lily’s favorite holiday growing up. There was something comforting about everyone’s sudden suspension of disbelief and willingness to face what scared them. She wished muggles would have embraced the paranormal every day, it surely would have made her life easier.

“It’s okay,” she said. “It has to be this way.” 

Lily wished they could hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, but the neighborhood muggles couldn’t see their home; not while it was under the Fidelius Charm. Staying hidden wasn’t what she had imagined when moving to a mixed-magical community, but for now, it was the safest option. The only option. 

James met her on the other side of the kitchen island, interrupting her thoughts with two fingers under her chin. “Definitely next year,” he said before tilting her head up for a kiss. 

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she smiled against his lips, wondering if Harry’s ability to make her heart explode was just as hereditary as his bright green eyes. There was something about those Potter boys that knocked her off her feet.

Maybe James was right, and next year, things would be different. They could get to know their non-magical neighbors, and Lily could take Harry trick-or-treating. He’d look so cute dressed up as a hippogriff, and no one would bat an eye when he’d insist it was a real animal. Kids say the darndest things, and on Halloween, anything was possible. 

“Next year, for sure.” Lily took another swig of her wine and relished in the evolution of its flavor, a delicious reminder that things change, sometimes so fast that she might blink and miss it. Things weren’t perfect by any means — they were in the middle of a war, after all — but there was no shortage of good in their lives. Not everyone could say they had a happy family, loyal friends, and really good wine. 

“Dance with me?” asked James, setting his wine down next to hers and tugging gently on her arm. 

It didn’t take much to lure her into the open space of the living room and settle into the crook of his neck. There was no music, but that didn’t matter; if there had been a beat, they would probably have ignored it anyway. 

“Do you remember the first time we ever danced?”

She nodded against his shoulder. Of course she remembered.

It was Halloween, sixth year, and James and Lily had been alone in the common room. 

“Happy Halloween, Lily,” said James as he approached her. “Today, you’re not a freak.”

Out of context, it might have sounded like senseless teasing, but it was so much more than that. She stared back at him, mouth agape, and wasn’t sure how to respond. It had been years — years — since they had talked about Halloween, and somehow he remembered a passing comment from her eleven-year-old self. 

“You remember that?” she asked, looking at him through narrowed eyes. 

It was her answer to an ice-breaker game during their first year — ‘what’s your favorite holiday and why?’ She hadn’t expected the confused stares at her response. In the muggle world, Halloween was the only day when she didn’t feel weird. Now, Halloween, and the fact that it meant something different to her than to everyone else, meant it was the only day when she did. 

However, she’d happily settle for one single day of being a freak; it was much better than three hundred and sixty-four.

“Of course I remember,” said James, smiling at her. His grin was electric, almost zapping through his messy black hair. Then, he reached out a questioning hand and raised his eyebrows. She stared back at him, wishing he would just use his words, yet she was impressed that with her, he didn’t need to. James always wore his thoughts on his face, in plain sight for the world to see, and never seemed to feel any shame or embarrassment for expressing them.

It touched a nerve for Lily, who had spent most of her life hiding. She longed for him to have to explain himself for once, to actually verbalize his thoughts instead of coasting by in his utopia where people just understood him. It wasn’t fair. “What are you asking, James?” 

“Dance with me?” he clarified. His voice was annoyingly calm and collected as if he knew she had been expecting him to elaborate, yet aware that he didn’t have to. He didn’t even flinch at her incredulous stare, confident in his request, as if asking her to dance was the most obvious progression to wishing her a happy Halloween. 

“Why?” She steadied her hands firmly by her sides, hoping James didn't see her fingers twitch toward his.

“To celebrate Halloween, of course.” His cheeks were rosy, his eyes sparkling, and his continued lack of reaction was curious. Despite her rejection, he committed to holding out his hand with confidence. 

“People don’t dance on Halloween.”

“I’m people, and I dance on Halloween,” laughed James.

She looked at his hand and considered it. Despite a few accidental brushes of her hand while taking notes or passing in the hallway, she had never actually touched him. And Lily had always been the curious type.

James followed her gaze to his hand and playfully wiggled his fingers. 

“Okay,” she said, placing her hand in his. His touch was gentle, firm, confident. It felt nice. “But there’s no music.”

“We don’t need any,” he said, pulling on her arm so that her body pressed up against his. It might have been too forward if she hadn’t fit so perfectly, but honestly, standing any further from him would have felt like sitting upright in a reclining chair. “If there was music, I’d probably ignore the beat, anyway.”

“You would?”  His soft voice immediately put her at ease in his arms, even though her palms were sweating and her heart was picking up its pace. “Why?”

“I’m too distracted,” he said. “Wasn’t expecting you to say yes.”

Lily laughed. “Then why’d you risk asking?”

“Anything is possible on Halloween, right?”

His arms tightened around her just then, not in a forceful way, just comfortable and supportive. She let herself get lost in the moment, swaying with James by the crackling fire, actually smelling, not imagining, his cologne, and feeling the prickle of his stubble against her forehead — when did that grow in? 

Maybe the next day, they’d go back to their usual dynamic, somewhere between flirting and arguing, annoyance and admiration. Or maybe, this would change things. There was something about the Potter boy and his messy black hair, unruly and uncaring, his glasses that should have made him look like a nerd but didn’t, and his annoying charisma that had an effect on her. It wasn’t a secret; they were both aware of it, yet neither felt the need to acknowledge it. At least not yet. They were so young, and they had so much time. 

“Was that when it all changed for you?” asked James, pulling her back to the present. “Is that when you finally gave in to my charm?”

Lily smiled at her husband. “Nothing changed that day. Nothing ever changed.”

James smiled, and Lily leaned into the sharpness of his stubble, a few lazy days unshaven. She melted against him and held him tight. Although his belly was softer, his voice was deeper, the circles under his eyes were darker, reflecting fifteen months of erratic sleep schedules, nothing about him had changed. 

The moment was broken by the sobering sound of a baby crying. Both Lily and James groaned as they pulled away from one another and swiftly turned their focus to their child. 

“I’ll put him back to bed,” said Lily.

“I can do it,” interrupted James. “You bathed him.”

Lily thought of the miniature James crying in his crib, and her heart clenched. It had only been minutes since she last snuggled him, and she already missed the child. “I really want to,” she said. 

James nodded, but his gaze was not on Lily. “Okay. I will meet you upstairs, then. I want to check the wards — I thought I saw some movement outside.”

Lily squinted at the window, her heart rate rising.

“It’s probably nothing,” said James.

Reaching for her half-full glass of wine, Lily nodded. “Alright, I’ll meet you upstairs. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

With one last glance at her husband, Lily made her way up the stairs toward Harry.

Harry, the child who always scrunched up his face when he slept, pursing his lips and crinkling his nose like he just ate a lemon. The boy with her eyes and James’ smile, who was already the best kid ever, even though his personality had yet to be determined. The kid who had a temper, but always calmed down the moment his mother wrapped her arms around him, the stubborn, determined one who could melt Lily’s heart with a single look. 

Her son, Harry, who she couldn’t wait to watch grow up, yet she hoped would never change.

[tinawriting]

This is what we fought for (S.B)

Requested: Yes/No

Pairing: Sirius Black x fem!reader

Navigation

Summary: Everyone is trying to keep the Potters safe during the war. Sirius suspects. Y/n has an idea.

Warnings: swearing, mentions of death, one sex joke, little bit of angst at the end, not proofread, my english.

A/N: Everyone lives/Nobody dies AU! This was really fun to write and an amazing idea. This is how things should have gone.

Word count: 2.4k

Green lights were surrounding them. His breath was caught on his throat, the not knowing if they were going to get out of this one, the panic rising. He felt a hand grip his, he looked up to meet warm and soft eyes, home.

It was always like this with her, they could communicate with just a look. He nodded and let himself stand up, gripping his wand tightly, out of the corner of his eye he saw Y/n stand up as well. She was next to him but he had never felt so far away from her, he needed her touch, he needed her to get out of this one. Even if he didn't.

He started running towards the lights and felt how Y/n was closely behind him. When he saw them he didn't hesitate in start hexing them, not to kill them, no. Dumbledore said they had to just stop them, much to Sirius' dismay, if you asked him, he wouldn't care if all Voldemort's Death Eaters died tonight.

He started throwing hexes at everyone, but his mind was elsewhere. Y/n wasn't on sight anymore, and even if he knew how capable she was he couldn't help but looking for her among the crowd. He was so distracted he failed to notice the person coming from behind him.

"Crucio!"

"Protego!"

Sirius turned around to see Y/n face to face with the disgusting Antonin Dolohov. She had intercepted the spell coming in Sirius' direction. Coward, he thought, his only way of attack is from behind. Dolohov raised his wand in her direction with a sneer on his face.

He grabbed Y/n's arm and pulled her roughly behind him, his body shielding her from Dolohov.

"You hurt her and I'll fucking murder you." He said gritting his teeth, not breaking eye contact. He felt her tugging on his sleeve from behind, his arm still keeping her in place.

"Sirius, we have to go now," she said in his ear. "They're coming from everywhere! Let's go!"

He doesn't want to tear his eyes from Dolohov, but he can hear how they're being surrounded. He grabs her more firmly and Apparates them away.

"I could've handled him."

"I was just protecting you!"

They were in the Order Headquarters. After Apparating there, a couple of healers had help them with their wounds. Then, Y/n had grabbed Sirius' arm and guided him to an empty bedroom to talk to him about the Dolohov incident.

"Do not raise your voice with me Sirius Black," said Y/n lowly and with fire in her eyes. "And I don't need you to protect me. When we're fighting you're not my boyfriend anymore, you're my partner. I needed you to keep fighting."

"So you're saying it's my fault?" He said with an incredulous look on his face.

"I did not say that. But it you keep underestimating my abilities you're going to get us killed."

"I don't underestimate your abilities!"

"Then why the fuck wouldn't you just keep fighting and let me deal with Dolohov?"

"I don't want to lose you!"

"You will if you keep this up!"

They were screaming at this point, the eye contact almost unbearable. The silence allowed them to hear the laughs coming from the other side of the house.

"I can't lose you," he whispered. "I would kill me. I can't."

She took a couple steps towards him and he opened his arms for her. One of his arms on her back hold her close while the other kept her head against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and rested his chin there. Until this moment he had forgotten how small she was compared to him, how he would need to look down to look at her in the eye. He felt her shaking and how a puddle of tears were damping his shirt. In that moment he realized that tears were forming in his eyes too.

"I don't want to keep fighting Sirius," she said, her voice muffled by his chest. "I want this to end. I want to live normally, I want a house, a family. I'm tired of watching the people I care about die."

"I know my love, I promise you that I will give you that. Everything you want and more."

"I'm just saying," said Sirius. "You should keep an eye on him."

"I think Sirius is right." Said Peter.

"I don't," said James sternly. "Where did this come from?"

"We're not allowed to go on full moons with him anymore, and he’s supposed to get information from the other werewolves. How do we know what he does with them?"

Lily and Y/n were in the Potters' living room sitting on the couch. Y/n had a sleeping Harry wrapped in a blanket on her arms while Lily was reading a book.

"Do they think we can't listen?" Said Y/n looking at the closed kitchen door, behind it, James, Sirius and Peter were discussing who could be the spy that had been telling Voldemort details only people from the Order could know.

"They probably think we can't hear a word." Said Lily nodding. Y/n frowned at the closed door and decided she had to have a talk to her dear boyfriend. She gave Harry to Lily and stared a moment at the love in Lily's green eyes when she looked at her baby, this is what we're fighting for, she thought.

She opened the door a little harder that she wanted to and stared at Sirius' grey eyes, his soft smile fell when he noticed the hard look she was giving him.

"What is your problem? You don't trust your friends anymore?"

"Darling, this is really not your-"

"Not my place? Not my problem? What Sirius? Do you think the fact that there's a fucking spy breathing on my best friend's neck isn't my problem? Do you think that you talking shit about our friend behind his back without any other argument that 'he's a werewolf' isn't my fucking problem? All your life you've been judged for being a Black and you're doing the same with him? Do you really think Remus is the spy?"

"I'm not saying he's the spy just because he's a werewolf!"

"That's exactly what you're saying!"

"We can't trust anyone anymore!"

She scoffed. "Do you suspect me? Do you suspect Peter?" She noticed how Peter made a soft sound and turned to look at him, his hands were picking at a loose strand of his sweater and was trembling slightly. Strange. She looked at Sirius again. "Don't you trust your own friends anymore? Who are you?"

He looked incredulously at her and a little bit hurt. "Of course I trust you! You're my life, I will always trust you." He then looked at Peter. "And I trust Pete of course, you know what? That's it! He should be the secret keeper instead!"

What?

"What?" Said the rest of them in unison.

"Yeah! We won't tell Lupin and he'll think I'm the secret keeper. It's just a precaution."

She huffed. "Fine. Do whatever you want." And then she got out of the kitchen and entered the bathroom. What was Peter's problem? He had always been a nervous boy but the fact that he had contradicted James earlier and agreed with Sirius was something weird. She didn't want to judge him without any reasonable arguments like Sirius did with Remus. But how could she protect her friends? She heard a knock on the door and she just knew who it was, they were connected.

Se opened the door and saw Sirius standing there looking sheepishly back at her. "I'm sorry."

She sighed and let him in. "I know, I'm sorry too," she said closing the door. "I feel like we're fighting all the time lately."

He exhaled and met her eye, a smirk forming slowly on his face. "We've been doing other things too." He said looking her up and down. She chuckled softly, the tension leaving her shoulders. He raised a hand and held her cheek, caressing her softly. "I love you so much."

"I love you more." She said smiling softly at him.

"Imposible." He said leaning down and connecting their lips. She tried to show him how much he meant to her into the kiss. She let her fingers run through his hair and opened her mouth for him to deepen the kiss.

After they parted, she looked at his soft grey eyes, home.

An idea popped in her head. "I'm staying here."

"What?"

"I'm staying here, I'll be locked up with them until the Order needs me."

"What if I need you?" He looked like he was about to cry and her heart broke.

"I'll come home. I will," she said holding his face. "But I'll be here a lot, that's it, you won't even notice I'm gone."

"You know I will," his eyes were a little glassy and she hugged him tight. "Please be careful."

A week after that, Y/n wanted to give Harry the Halloween hat she knitted for him. It was absolutely horrible but she just wanted an excuse to go see her godson.

"That's really pretty." Said Sirius coming from behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. She laughed.

"No, it's not."

He chuckled. "It's really not." He kissed her cheek. "Are you going to be alright? Are you sure you want to go alone?"

"I'll be fine," she said turning around in his arms and placing a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you."

"I love you."

She grabbed her bag and wand and Apparated to Godric's Hollow, she walked where the house was and knocked. James was opening the door in no time and let her in, once inside he pulled her in a bone-crashing hug. "It's so nice to see you." He whispered into her ear. Soft giggles could be heard from upstairs, she smiled brightly and ran to see Harry. Lily was next to his crib and kissing his plump cheeks, she walked up to them and hugged Lily, Y/n kissed Harry's head softly and then placed the hideous hat on it. Lily made a face and then smiled kindly.

"It's horrible." She said.

"I know." Y/n replied.

Then, a loud explosion was heard downstairs, Lily and Y/n looked at each other wide-eyed.

"Send a Patronus." Said Y/n.

Then Y/n ran out of the room at the same time James cried out "Lily, Y/n, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!"

Her eyes were almost out of her skull and she couldn't go faster. She saw in a blur James' wand and she shouted "Accio wand!"  She then saw James trying to hold back Voldemort wandless and looked in horror at how he raised his wand in James' direction.

“Avada Kedav-”

"Impedimenta!" She cried.

Y/n watched how Voldemort's action slowed down, she grabbed James by his arm and got him out of Voldemort's reach. She handed him his wand and heard various 'pop' of people Apparating, she hoped it was their friends and not some Death Eater. She watched as Voldemort's actions were slowly coming back to normal when Sirius and Remus appeared at the front door, Voldemort's red eyes made contact with hers.

"Crucio!"

In a fraction of second, her back hit the ground, a high-pitched noise in her ears was making her head hurt, she could feel herself screaming but couldn't hear it. All her limbs felt on fire, the pain almost unbearable. She lifted her head to see three rays of green light from her friend's wands being directed at Voldemort, and then, everything went black.

Her head hurt so much. She couldn't move. She couldn't even open her eyes. I must be dead. That's why I can't move. And then, she heard soft sobs and someone -no, Sirius- grabbing her hand delicately.

"Please, Y/n. Please come back to me." I'm here Sirius, I'm okay. "You saved James, and Lily, and Harry. And I'm so grateful for that, but I can’t be happy if you’re not with me. I’ll never be happy without you. I know you can save yourself too, you can do this my love, please come back. Come back so I can give you that house we talked about, so we can get married and have kids. Please.”

She slowly opened her eyes, her vision was blurry and when she turned her head she saw Sirius sitting on a chair with his head down, his hair shielding his eyes. She squeezed his hand weakly and he lifted his head so fast his neck made a sound.

He got up and sat down next to her in the bed she now realised it was James and Lily's. "Hello princess," he said kissing her softly, and her headache disappeared for a moment. "You had me worried." He chuckled, but it was empty, she noticed the tears strains in his cheeks and she lifted a hand to caress them away. He smiled. He hadn’t smiled a real smile in days and she thought she had never see him more beautiful.

“You’re beautiful.” Y/n said and he laughed softly. Then, she remembered. “Peter.” She whispered.

Sirius smile fell. “Yeah,” he said. “Remus… he didn’t do anything, you were right. We’re good now, though. He was understanding of the whole situation. I can’t believe I ever doubted him.”

“Did you kill him?” She asked wide-eyed. “Voldemort?”

“Yeah, the three of us used the killing curse on him. Dumbledore said we won’t go to Azkaban for doing it.” She scoffed, of course they weren’t, she would get them out herself if they were. “It was all thanks to you. James told us what you did, they would all be dead if it weren’t for you.”

“And Peter?”

Sirius’ frowned. “He… he disappeared, that stupid rat, we don’t know where he is. But it’s over now.” He started sobbing again, but he was smiling. “It’s over, we’re okay. We’re all okay. James, Lily, Remus and Harry. Harry is perfect! He has that disgusting hat on and he laughs!”

She smiled and tears were falling from her eyes as well. “I want to see them.”

“Yes, of course,” he said hurriedly before kissing her forehead. “I’ll bring them.”

Sirius got out of the room and she took a moment to breathe. It was over now, Voldemort was gone. The Potters were fine, Remus was fine, Sirius and her were fine. When the door opened again, the first thing she saw was the smiling face of her godson and thought this is what we fought for.

[marauders-venting]

It Can’t Be

pairing: wolfstar (remus x sirius)

genre: angst

warnings: lots of mentions of death and a funeral, grief and mourning

words: 1906

a/n: this fic is an au in which Sirius has a trial. He is found innocent and Peter is arrested. the fic is set after the trial has ended

Sirius stood, his hands clenched so tight on the handle of Harry’s stroller that his knuckles were white. It had been a good idea to bring the stroller because there was no way he could’ve carried Harry in his arms right now. His whole body was shaking. It had only been a few days since Lily and James had died but so much had happened since then. Sirius had been to Azkaban and had a trial, Peter had been arrested, Remus had disappeared and suddenly Sirius was Harry’s legal guardian. With everything that had happened, Sirius hadn’t even had time to process it, let alone accept it. In his mind, Lily and James Potter could not be dead. They just couldn’t. But evidently, they were because Sirius was attending their funeral at the moment. They were because any minute he would have to give his eulogy. Sirius wasn’t sure if he’d be able to do it but he had to. He owed it to Lily and James.

So when the minister called Sirius up to speak, he rolled Harry’s stroller over to the front of the room and faced everybody. Sirius looked around at the people in the room; their expressions were passive. These people don’t care about Lily and James, Sirius thought. No, all they care about is that Voldemort is gone. The only person other than himself who looked even remotely sad was Professor McGonagall, who was sitting in the back of the room, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief. And… Remus! He’s here. Remus is here. Well of course he’s here you idiot, he arranged the funeral, said a voice in his head, he set this up for Lily and James while you were moping in a prison cell. Sirius needed the voice to shut up. He didn’t have time for this now. He wanted to honour Lily and James properly. So he took a deep breath and spoke.

“James Potter was my best friend,” he said, ignoring the ache in his chest and the tears pricking his eyes. “He was my brother. Never have I known a person so full of kindness and love for other people and so willing to share it.” It was only ever with him that I felt truly safe. And now he’s gone. Sirius couldn’t say it. He swallowed hard and went on. “And Lily…” even just saying her name hurt, “Lily lit up every room she walked into.” There was more but Sirius couldn’t speak. Tears were streaming down his face. He skipped to the last few lines, the part he was determined to say before he collapsed. “She got f-far less time than she should have. They both did. If I could trade my life for theirs I would. James and Lily… they deserved the world—” Sirius choked. And I was going to give it to them. It was my job. And I failed. That was it. Sirius had written more but he couldn’t go on. “Thank you.” He walked back to his seat and buried his face in his hands. He didn’t care that these people were seeing him cry. He had failed. The least he could have done was properly eulogise Lily and James but he’d fucked that up too.

“Pa’foot?” came Harry’s voice. Sirius wiped his tears away and looked up.

“Yes, Harry?” he said quietly.

“Pa’foot sad,” Harry said.

“Nah, I’m not sad, Prongslet,” Sirius said, feeling a sharp stab of pain at the nickname. Prongslet. Little Prongs. Prongs’ kid. James’ kid. But James was gone. And Harry… Harry didn’t even seem to know that. “Come on,” Sirius said, picking Harry up out of the stroller and sitting him down on his lap. “Uncle Moony’s going to speak now so we need to be quiet.” Remus stood at the front of the room, about to give his eulogy.

“Moo’ee!” Harry called, waving at Remus. Remus gave Harry a small smile and wave, pointedly avoiding Sirius’ eyes.

“Shh,” Sirius whispered to Harry. “We need to be quiet, Harry.”

“Shh,” Harry repeated, putting a finger on his lips and looking from Sirius to Remus and then laying his head down on Sirius’ chest. Remus’ eyes flickered towards Harry and Sirius saw him bite his lip before starting.

“Lily and James were the kindest, most accepting people I have ever met,” Remus said, his voice shaking slightly. “They both had a knack for knowing when someone was upset and what exactly that person needed to feel better. And they would both do just about anything to help their friends. Knowing Lily and James and being their friend was an honour and a privilege. And I will never forget the kindness they showed me and the help they gave me.” Remus fell silent and for a moment Sirius thought he had finished but Remus closed his eyes for a moment and then continued.

“Often when people die young, we tend to say that they had just enough time or that they were so happy in their short time that their lives were fulfilled. And while Lily and James were certainly the two happiest people I have known, I refuse to stand here and say that it was just enough time or that it’s ok because they were so happy. It’s not ok and it wasn’t enough. Lily and James deserved more time than every person in this room combined; I’m just sorry that after everything they did for me, I couldn’t give that to them. Thank you.” Sirius thought that Remus’ eyes had met his for just a second. Or maybe not. Maybe he’d just imagined it.

There were tears on Remus’ cheeks and his hands were shaking but he returned to his seat, keeping his eyes on the floor. The minister said a number of prayers but Sirius’ mind kept fading in and out of focus. Lily and James are dead. But how can they be dead? They can’t. But they are. They’re dead.

When the funeral ended Sirius stood and started following the crowd of people heading for the exit but having a stroller meant that he had to wait for most people to leave before there was enough room for him and Harry to move. They were almost out of Godric’s Hollow when Sirius heard a voice coming from behind him.

“It’s your birthday today.” Sirius spun towards the voice. It was Remus.

“W-what?” he stuttered.

“It’s your birthday today,” Remus repeated.

“No, it’s n—” Sirius started. He thought for a moment. The 2nd of November. That’s today. “Oh, it… it is. I didn’t realise.” Silence. Sirius didn’t know what to say.

“I think we need to talk,” Remus said, quietly.

“Yeah,” Sirius said. “I think we do.” He couldn’t discern Remus’ tone but his heart was racing a million miles an hour as they walked back to their apartment in silence, allowing Harry to fall asleep in the stroller. No one said a word until they were back in their apartment.

“I’ll just put Harry down for a nap and then…” Sirius trailed off.

“And then we’ll talk,” Remus nodded, sitting down on the couch. Sirius pushed the stroller into Harry’s room, deciding it was better to let him sleep in the stroller than to risk waking him by moving him into his crib. Sirius closed the door quietly and returned to the living room, sitting down on the couch beside Remus. They were silent for a moment.

“So are you going to tell me why you hid that fact that you were changing Secret Keepers from me?” Here we go, Sirius thought. He knew he would have to have this discussion with Remus the moment his trial ended but he couldn’t look Remus in the eye. Sirius didn’t know if he was more consumed by grief or guilt. He forced himself to look up at Remus. He tried to put so many unsaid things into that look. Remus’ eyes widened with realisation and Sirius nodded.

“Remus,” he said, he wanted to reach out and hold his hand but did not think that the gesture would be kindly received. “I am so, so sor—”

“Don’t,” Remus said. He sounded angry and hurt. “You can’t just apologise for something… for something like this.”

“I know,” Sirius said, softly. He was so ashamed.

“No, you don’t know,” Remus said. “I trust you with every fibre of my being, Sirius. I’d trust you with my life! When you sent me that message telling me what Peter had done I believed you. There was loads of evidence against you but I didn’t suspect you even for a second! And you think that I would sell Lily and James to Voldemort based on nothing?”

“Remus, I was wrong,” said Sirius. “There’s no justification; I made a mistake and now everybody I love is suffering the consequences. But you were gone on missions for days at a time, you’d come back and you would barely talk to me. You wouldn’t tell me anything.”

“I didn’t tell you anything because Dumbledore had sworn me to secrecy! You knew that!”

“I know but Remus I was worried. I knew that you were spending a lot of time with werewolves who were rallying behind Voldemort and I was worried that they’d gotten to your head. And I tried to talk to you but you were shutting me out and I—”

“Don’t try to turn this on me!” said Remus. He was shaking. Tears were spilling from his eyes. “This is not my fault!”

“Of course it’s not,” said Sirius. He was crying too. “Of course it’s not but Remus, just try to understand where I’m coming from. I was terrified. I was terrified for James and Lily and Harry and I just—”

“I was terrified too! You know what? This was a bad idea. I think I should just go.” He stood up and walked to the door.

“No, Remus don’t! Don’t leave, please. You can’t go!”

“You… you have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do, Sirius!” Remus said. “You don’t get a say in what I do!”

“Remus please don’t go, please Rem I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” His voice was weak and clingy and pathetic; he didn’t care. He took Remus’ hand and Remus froze. Sirius stepped closer.

“I can’t be without you,” he whispered, his thumb brushing Remus’ cheek. Remus wasn’t looking him in the eyes but he wasn’t moving either. “I love you, Remus.” Sirius leaned in towards Remus and kissed him. And for a moment, he feels Remus kiss him back and in that moment Sirius really believes that everything will be ok, that everything will work itself out. But then Remus pulls away and steps back.

“Don’t! Don’t Sirius, just fucking stop! You can’t just kiss me and expect it to fix everything. You don’t get to do this!” Remus yells. “You don’t get to cry! You don’t get to guilt trip me! You don’t... you don’t get to say that you love me! You can’t fucking do that! It’s not fucking fair! Just... I need... I have to go,” he finishes quietly. “I need to get out of here. Goodbye Sirius.” Sirius watches him go. He watches him walk out the door and Disapparate. First Lily and James, then Peter and now Remus. They’re all gone. And they’re not coming back. And just like that, Sirius’ entire world collapses.

[startanewdream]

hi, Mah! well i don't really like the winter solstice as i don't deal with winter very well but i love birthdays!

so, to join the game I'll send to you a prompt you and let you send me another one - any couple you want <3

for you: 1. “We found you crying. What happened?” and 13. “You’re supossed to be mad at me! Why aren’t you yelling at me?” + jily lives <3 (if you want to do just one, that's fine)

Hi, Sweet! I like to think winters solstice just means my birthday has the longest night of the year. More stars!

Well, for you I went with what's probably my fave soft moment between Lily and Harry (with a little twist on quote #1). All love here. Hope you enjoy it! ❤

The thunder shakes the windows of his room. Harry peaks from under his blanket, watching the rain lashing the window. It’s just a summer storm, he tells himself, trembling. Uncle Moony explained to him why there are more storms in the summer, and it should be something very normal.

And yet he can’t help but recoil as lightning crosses the sky, illuminating all the room and creating shadows that Harry never saw before inside his room. Monsters and ghosts and claws and what if they catch him...

He puts the blanket all over his head, but it doesn’t help much. He can still hear the rain and the wind and his heart skips a beat over each thunder. He wishes he hadn’t told his parents they could store away his lion plushie (‘I am seven, Mum, I’m too big for plushies!), because he really wanted a company right now.

And not any company.

He raises hesitantly, careful to avoid looking in the direction of the window again, and he leaves his room quickly. The hall is deserted, but the lights are on, and that gives him a small comfort. By the time Harry reaches his parents’ room, he is already feeling silly for being afraid of a storm. Perhaps he should get back to his bed, be the brave boy his father tells him he is, and just laugh of the whole thing—

But another thunder breaks through, resonating all over the house, and Harry opens the door to his parents’ room without further thinking about it.

The room is dark, only illuminated by the lightning that crosses the sky every now and then, but here the sound of the thunder seems less strong, as if the sheer presence of his parents is enough to draw away its force. Harry breathes in easily now, walking on tiptoes until he reaches his mother’s side of the bed.

She is sleeping peacefully and he pauses again; he doesn’t want to bother her, not with his stupid fear… But another thunder shakes the window and he lets out a tiny whimper.

‘Mum?’ he whispers, but she doesn’t move. ‘Mum?’ he grabs her arm, shaking her carefully.

She awakes with a start, blinking fastly. ‘Harry? Is everything all right?’

‘Yeah, yeah,’ he assures her quickly, with a glance towards the bundle in bed that it’s his father, but he didn’t seem to be awake, for which Harry is grateful. He doesn’t want his father to even suspect his silly fears.

Lily sits on the bed, watching him with concern, raising her hand to take out the fringe out of his sweaty forehead and then drying the tears Harry hadn’t even noticed before.

‘You are crying… What happened, Harry?’, she asks in a whisper, and Harry hesitates. He is seven, after all, and he shouldn’t be afraid of anything, and yet…

Thunder makes the window tremble again and he shivers, moving closer to his mother.

‘Ah, Harry,’ his mother sighs, raising now to place her arms around him, holding him safe in her arms. ‘Everything is fine—’

‘I know, I—’, but he doesn’t finish his sentence, shame wrapping over him as powerful as her hug.

‘You just wanted a hot chocolate,’ she guesses for him, breaking apart just enough to take her robe and put it around her shoulders. ‘What do you think?’

He nods, grateful—anything so that he doesn’t get to be alone while the rain falls heavily.

They go together to the kitchen, and with his mother holding his hand, Harry thinks the rain seems to have weakened a little. He sits at the table while she prepares the chocolate, watching her. It almost looks like it’s an usual morning in the Potter house; it’s comforting.

‘Why don’t you use magic, Mum?’ he asks, as she breaks chocolate bars in small pieces with a knife.

‘I like to do things how I learned,’ she explains, turning to him with a warm smile. ‘It’s how my Mum made it for me.’

‘Grandma Evans made hot chocolate for you?’

‘Oh, yes.’ There is a nostalgic glint in his mom’s eyes now. ‘We used to talk until late at night over a hot chocolate cup, just the two of us. It was nice’. She pours the milk over a cup, offering him. Harry mixes the milk. ‘I miss her.’

Harry nods somberly. If he didn’t have his mother, he would miss her everyday too.

‘I’m here, Mama,’ he promises, slipping into the nickname for her he is trying to overcome (he is seven). ‘We can share hot chocolate and talk like you did with her.’

His mother smiles, warmer than the boiling milk.

‘I would love that very much’.

Harry beams.

When their chocolate is over, Harry glances in the direction of the stairs, wondering if he feels brave enough to face his room alone. Maybe if he could ask his mother to tuck him in for the night… but he is seven, he is too grown up for that…

‘I am not sleepy yet,’ his mother declares, watching him with that glint that always makes Harry feel as if she can read his mind. ‘Why don’t we stay a little in the living room?’

‘I can keep you company,’ Harry says, almost nonchalantly. The smile on his mother’s face just becomes brighter.

At the living room, his mother lights up the fireplace before sitting on the couch, and Harry sits next to her, his head on her shoulder before he admits defeat and lays his head over her lap.

His mother doesn’t say anything, though, just staring at the fire as her hand runs through his hair in a soothing movement.

‘Are you cold?’ she asks after a while.

‘No, I’m fine.’ She hums in answer, distracted. ‘Mum? Could you not tell Dad about… the storm?’

She gives him a knowing look, a soft smile on her lips.

‘There is nothing to be ashamed of, Harry.’

‘Dad always tells me to be brave… I don’t want to upset him.’

‘The only thing your dad will be upset about is that he didn’t join us for hot chocolate,’ she assures him. ‘He loves you so much, Harry. And you always make him proud.’

‘I don’t want to be a coward. I want to be brave like him. And you.’

‘You are brave like your own,’ she tells him, touching the point of his nose and making him smile.

‘Even when I am afraid?’

‘Especially then. It takes courage to admit you fear something. There are all kinds of courage, Harry.’

‘Like there are all kinds of heroes?’

‘Exactly.’ His mother sighs. ‘Sometimes the hero is strong, sometimes he is smart, sometimes he sings all his troubles away. You’ll find your own.’

Harry nods, even though he still thinks he wants to be brave like his parents. They faced an evil dark lord after all. He touches the scar on his forehead absently. ‘Could you tell me a story, Mum?’

She looks at him, her eyebrows raised.

‘One that I want, or your type of stories?’

Harry sighs dramatically.

‘Your stories always have a kiss!’

‘It’s what happens before the happily ever after!’ she remarks, though the grin on her face tells Harry she is not taking this very seriously. ‘Fine, I will try to tell you one that no one gets kissed.’

‘With heroes!’

‘Ok.’

‘And swords?’

‘You want sword fights and no true love’s kiss?’

‘Fine, it can have one kiss. Just one.’

Lily laughs, lowering her head to place a soft kiss over his forehead.

‘There, one kiss.’ Harry can’t help but giggle. ‘Now, close your eyes and imagine it. Once upon a time, there was a noble warrior —’