NEPENTHE ⟶ James Potter

Chapter Twenty-Two

So far though, Harry had been quite careful with his slip-ups, never calling Renata "Mummy" when James was in the same room or around the two outside. And while Renata looked pained every time he slipped, she wasn't upset with Harry, in fact, she felt terrible for telling him otherwise. She figured it had to be so confusing for Harry to have a woman in his life that acted maternally towards him and not be able to call her mother.

Hell, Renata could remember times back when she was back in school where she would call some of her female professors "mother" by accident because she spent so much time around them and they had always treated her with such kindness.

It was almost like a natural instinct of sorts, so she honestly couldn't blame Harry. Renata assumed that since the time of Lily's passing that Harry was really too young to hold onto the memories of his late-mother and he was just trying to latch on to anyone that showed him the love and care he deserved.

She just wished that James wasn't in a fragile place because she truly did fear his reaction if he heard Harry say such a thing. Lily had been taken from the world too soon and she would miss out on such important milestones of motherhood, which Renata assumed James would hold against himself. If he heard Harry call another woman as his mother, she was fairly certain that he would lose it completely.

So every day, she gave Harry the reminder that she was "Nanny Nanata" and nothing more than that. Only, Harry wasn't having any of that nonsense, maybe she didn't accept the term of endearment right away, but Potters were not quitters. And just like how his father was patiently waiting for the moment where Renata would call him "James" instead of "Mr Potter," Harry was waiting for the moment where Renata would accept the fact that she was the closest person he had to a mother and the only person he remembered acting as a mother to him.

Especially in the most recent night when he woke up the sound of a loud thunderstorm that was rolling over the lands, saturating everything with heavy rains.

Normally, during the day if a thunderstorm hit, Harry didn't find them to be very scary because it was still light out, but during the night, he absolutely hated them. The sound of thunder had stirred him from his sleep and finding himself alone in his room left him terrified. Rolling out of his bed quickly, Harry watched as his entire room was illuminated by a flash of lightning and everything that didn't look so scary during the day, suddenly appeared monstrous in the shadows.

Letting out a small cry, he ran towards the door as fast as his little legs would carry him and stood on the tips of his toes trying to open the door. Renata usually closed it over at night because she and James stayed up later and they didn't want to disturb Harry as he slept. But that evening it definitely worked against him as he couldn't get the door open and with every passing second, he just entered a further state of panic.

The lightning was striking more often and the thunder was getting louder, it was almost like the monster that he associated with the noises and flashes of light was so close to getting him.

His cries grew louder in between the rumbles of thunder and he started to bang his hands against the door to alert someone to come help him. He called for James and he called for Renata and while all hope seemed lost for the little one, his calls for a rescue were finally answered. The door opened and his rescuer appeared to a very sleepy Renata as she peered down in confusion.

Her hair resembled the traditional Potter household look of being incredibly messy and all over the place as if she was suffering a rough night of sleeping from the storm herself. But she wasn't exactly concerned with her appearance at near two in the morning.

"Harry, what are you-"

Before she could even finish, Harry hit her leg with such a force trying to get out of the room and save Renata at the same time. She reached down and lifted him up into her arms, taking him out into the hallway to calm him down. His hands were gripping her pyjama shirt so tightly that he was also pinching a bit of her skin, leaving her to whimper slightly.