Bring The Lion Out² | James Potter

nineteen

Not knowing what to do, Peter tried to make it better with food. It was the one thing that always made him feel better and on previous occasions, it usually helped Andrea too.

But not this time.

He'd leave snacks, full dinners, sweets, desserts, anything and everything. But every time he returned, the food was still left there, untouched.

The girls down the hall had started questioning the meals left outside her door, but Peter quickly lied that she was still throwing up.

McGonagall had been quick to help them all out and made the excuse that Andrea was sick and very contagious, which was why she was quarantined to her dorm, no one was allowed to visit her.

And even though no one was questioning it at the time, the mood of the Marauders had changed forever.

-//-

3rd of February, Tuesday, 1976

On the fourth day of not hearing anything from Andrea, James was going off the walls. Sirius had to stop him multiple times from storming up there and busting her door down.

But that wouldn't fix anything. That would only help his own peace of mind and that wouldn't be fair.

So, James did the only thing he thought would help, the only thing he could do to help her. He wrote to her mother.

Sparing the gruesome details, James kept it short yet urgent. He didn't know if Dumbledore had already written the Russo's but now he could try to calm down, knowing Aisha and Marco were going to do something to help. She might hate him for it, for bringing her parents into this, but he knew in the long run, this was what was going to help her the best.

And they did.

The next morning, as James got ready for class, Marco knocked on their dorm door. Clearing his throat, James joined him out in the hallway, the short Italian looking much scarier than on a regular day.

"Mister Russo, I'm sorry I didn't tell you before I figured the teachers had already contacted you, but I just didn't know what to do to help her and I know it was late but I -"

James stopped his rambling as Marco ignored him and pulled him into a tight, caring hug. "I don't know what's going on, but I know my daughter is very lucky to have friends who care as much about her as you and those boys do," he said, still hugging him tightly.

Slowly, James raised his hands, hugging the man who had been like a second father to him his entire childhood with as much emotion as he had ever hugged anyone other than his mother.

"I couldn't help her," he croaked out, feeling tears threaten to appear. Marco patted him gently on the back. "Not all things can be fixed overnight, figlio. But hopefully, together as a team, we can help her in any way possible." Marco pulled away and quickly brushed away the tears that had fallen from James' eyes.

"Aisha's waiting downstairs. You ready to take us to our daughter?" James sniffled and dried his face before nodding and leading the way down to the Common Room.

"And never call me Mister Russo again," Marco chuckled behind James. James smiled to himself; thankful Marco couldn't see his face.

He was going to change his mind on that very quickly when he realized James was dating his daughter.

-//-

"Cocca?"

Andrea pulled her head up from under her pillow. Had she imagined that?