James Sirius Potter and the Time Travel Trope

Chapter 11

Al gave him another sad look before returning the sad smile and turned back to his conversation with Scorpius and Rose.

James once again looked around the room to find most of the space occupied. At some point, Ginny and Hermione must have left the room, most likely to talk about their futures. James remembered the stories his Dad had told him about Ron and Hermione and how they were always bickering as teenagers. He could only imagine how confused they must be to find out they get married in the future. James cracked a smile, remembering their reactions.

Tonks, Remus, and Sirius' chairs were also empty, and everyone else seemed to be preoccupied with themselves or the people around them.

James scraped his chair against the kitchen floor as he got up from the table. As he was making his way towards the door, he nudged Teddy--who seemed to be off in his own world--with his elbow.

"I'm going to go check out the rest of the house, you know, see how different it is compared to our time, want to come?" James asked his god-brother, still standing behind his chair. Teddy, having been physically knocked out of his reverie, quickly agreed and stood from his chair and both him and James left the crowded kitchen. "This place is so creepy," James said with a shiver as he peered at the house-elf heads that were mounted on the wall.

"Tell me about it." Teddy said with a look of disgust as he glanced over his shoulder at the curtain-covered painting of Walburga Black. Teddy returned his focus in front of him and continued up the stairs, ignoring the elf heads.

Reaching the top of the stairs and noticing James had failed to follow him, Teddy turned towards his god-brother.

"James." Teddy called.

James almost jumped from where he was staring intently as an elf head, "Yeah, sorry, coming."

"You know James," Teddy said as James caught up with him, "we have the same Grimmauld Place in our time."

"I am aware, seeing as we go there, or here I guess, whenever we stay in London," James responded in a deadpan.

"Okay smartass. What I was trying to point out was, why are we checking out the house when we already have." Teddy responded.

"Well our Grimmauld Place isn't as creepy as this and plus, it's only been partially cleared out, we could find some cool objects here." James reasoned.

"Mmhmm, okay."

James dropped on to the stair he was standing on and loosed a sigh, "Okay, fine, I just couldn't be in that kitchen any longer." He admitted, "I felt like an alien in my own home. Or well a version of one of my homes," Teddy raised an eyebrow, "ugh, you know what I mean!"

Teddy shrugged and settled next to him on the step, "I mean yeah, what would you expect, we're in the past, we haven't even been thought of yet." James gave him a look, "OkayOkay well you haven't been thought of yet... at least not by your dad, your mum on the other hand..." Teddy knew the whole history of Harry and Ginny, especially Ginny's embarrassing crush on Harry when she was eleven, he was sure she probably daydreamed of having children with Harry. Teddy chuckled as James gave him a dirty look.

"Anyway." James said, displeased with the turn of the conversation, "I guess it didn't really hit me until now. I am in such deep shit! I time travelled almost my whole extended family into the past! The past, when a war is happening!"

"Finally admitting it was your fault?" Teddy said with a lop-sided grin. James responded with a dirty look, and the smile dropped from Teddy's features, realising the severity of the situation.

"Teddy, I messed up big time." James' voice cracked a bit, and he covered his face with his hands. "I might have wrecked not only my family but the whole timeline. Yeah sure we can obliviate, but memory charms can be broken! What if us being here prevents our parents from ever having any of us!" James furiously rubbed at his eyes, as if to prevent tears from forming.

Teddy scooted closer to James and warped an arm around his shoulders, "Listen to me, James, everything is going to work out, okay, ever--"

"No! It's not going to be fine!" James interrupted and abruptly stood and started up another flight of stairs.

Teddy sighed and moved from his seat to follow him.

"I'm fifteen, Teddy!" James all but shouted. He stopped his ascent up the stairs to look down at his god-brother, "Do you know what Dad did at fifteen?! He and my mum and their friends battled Death Eaters in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries and won. Won! They had help from adults, sure, and Sirius lost his life, but they were fifteen and fourteen-year-olds fighting in a war. I'm fifteen, and the only thing I can do is play practical jokes, get into trouble, and apparently endanger my whole family by sending us to the past." James loosed a shuddering breath and stared at his feet as they scuffed the carpet on the stairs.

"Dad had it so hard, he lost everyone, his parents, his godfather, everyone. He had no family, and he still had to fight in a war and lose even more people. He was saddled with a destiny he didn't ask for, and he died, Dad died--" James' voice gave out, and he sank onto the steps. Teddy finally reached him and gathered him in his arms, hugging him tightly.

Teddy opened his mouth to comfort him, but James wasn't done. He cleared his throat and tried to wipe his tears while still holding on to Teddy.

"He died, Teddy, Dad, died as a teenager, for the whole world, he died and fought to save the world. To save the world that had taken so much away from him. He sacrificed himself for everyone, and all I do is take advantage of that and do stupid shit and endanger everyone!" James' voice cracked some more, and he held tighter to Teddy. " Dad didn't even have parents to raise him, he was raised by his terrible aunt and uncle, abused and alone. I take advantage of all that by disrespecting my parents and endangering my siblings when Dad would've done anything to have the opportunity to have parents and siblings."

James was about to continue when Teddy finally broke in.

"Exactly James, he would've done anything, to make sure no one would ever have to go through what he went through, and he did." Teddy spoke quietly into James' hair as he rested his cheek on his head.

"Our Dad went through hell, and he came out on the other side. He fought for a better future, a future where there was no war to take a huge toll on teenagers like himself. As he said, he died for everyone. He died to allow people to have care-free childhoods and teenage years, which is exactly what you are doing." Teddy tried to explain.

When James didn't respond, Teddy continued, "Harry died so we could play pranks, get into trouble, and have the normal childhood he never got to have, which probably includes endangering your siblings" Teddy chuckled. James responded with his own watery chuckle into Teddy's chest, still hugging him tightly.

"So no, you're not taking advantage of his sacrifice by accidentally getting everyone stuck in the past. No, James, you're doing the opposite, you're honouring it, in your own James-like way." Teddy said with a smile.

"He's right, you know."

James' head lifted, and Teddy's head whipped around. They released each other as they stared at the source of the voice.

James gave a shuddering breath.

"Dad."

A/N: Sorry that little cliffhanger and sorry for not updating. Also, I did not mean for this chapter to be so sad, whoops. I think I'm past most of my writer's block so I should be able to update more, hopefully no more seven-month breaks. Thanks for reading!