by CelestialSeaWitch on archiveofourown.org
A child was crying.
Padfoot paused in his run, ears perked and head cocked to the side curiously. The massive black Grim moved hesitantly through the Forbidden Forest towards a small clearing. The crying grew louder and Padfoot knew he was getting closer.
What was a child doing in the Forbidden Forest in the dead of night? The question had barely entered his mind before it was quickly driven out again by the child’s cry.
Padfoot dashed into the clearing and tried to look as unimposing as possible. His act failed before he even really attempted it, because when Padfoot entered the clearing his massive jaw dropped in disbelief.
The child was the spitting image of his best friend. He gasped upon seeing Padfoot and hiccuped before reaching his little fingers out to the dog in a grabbing motion — the universal action of a child wishing to be held.
A horrible thought crossed Padfoot’s mind, had someone de-aged his best friend?
Padfoot transformed and Sirius Black stepped closer to the hiccupping and red-faced toddler. He’d bent down and was about to pick the babe up when James Potter appeared at the edge of the clearing.
“Blimey, Prongs,” Sirius stated, bewildered, “when’d you go and have a kid?”
“Excuse me?”
The toddler gasped and spun around. His emerald green eyes widened at the gobsmacked James. “Daddy!”
James’ eyes widened as the red-faced toddler struggled across the uneven ground towards him. The boy fell and erupted into wails once more. The cries quickly snapped James out of his shock and he rushed forward to pick the little boy up. James held him close and rubbed his small back, swaying slightly as he shushed the child.
Sirius watched on, suitably impressed.
Now only hiccupping and slightly red-faced again, the boy leaned his head against James’ shoulder, his coke-bottle glasses going cock-eyed as he did, and closed his eyes.
James leaned around awkwardly to get a better look at the boy's face. “Damn,” he said quietly before looking back to Sirius, “he really does look like me.”
“So he’s not you?”
James glared at his friend.
“Oi. Don’t give me that look, mate. It’s a good question, I’ve seen your baby photos.”
James rolled his eyes. He examined the boy again and found his finger drawing along a lightning bolt-shaped scar. “Well, that settles it.”
Sirius pushed back James’ fringe to quickly inspect the forehead he already knew was scar-free. “Yeah,” Sirius agreed, “he’s not you.”
James looked around the darkened forest uneasily. “We should get back to school.”
Sirius nodded amicably and the two headed towards Hogwarts. “Are we going to keep him?”
James glared at his best friend. “Are you stupid?”
Sirius turned and narrowed his eyes, as if actually considering the question seriously. James rolled his eyes and kept walking. Sirius studied James’ easy ability with the now dosing toddler.
“You’re quite good at that.”
“You know I like kids.”
“Yes, but you’re never around them, are you?”
James shrugged. “I used to take care of younger cousins a lot. Before my parents fully pulled away.” James stared out into the night darkly.
Sirius shook his head and glared without heat. “Blood traitors.”
James smirked at his friend, though it didn’t hold its usual easy-going humour.
They reached the edge of the forest and cast disillusionment charms on themselves. James picked up his cloak of invisibility from where he’d left it earlier that night and wrapped the toddler in it before picking him up once more and the two men silently snuck back into the school.
They paused on the third floor and looked in the direction of the Headmaster’s office.
“We’ll tell him in the morning,” James decided.
“After breakfast.” Sirius agreed.
James rolled his eyes but did not argue, he knew it would only lead to childish bickering — something he was too tired to deal with at the moment.
They whispered the password to the Gryffindor common room and noiselessly headed up to the Seventh Year Boys dorm.
Two beds were filled, the lumps beneath the red covers breathing deeply. James tiredly reversed the disillusionment charm, seeing Sirius do the same before crawling into bed. Snoring filled the room moments later.
James turned to the sleeping toddler in his arms and gently unwrapped the cloak from him. He frowned at the boy's baggy and dirty clothes. James hadn’t noticed it before. Was the boy poor? How long had he been in the forest?
He placed the boy on the bed and moved towards his trunk to tuck the precious cloak away. James rummaged through his trunk before he found an old shirt and transfigured it into a little onesie — red with gold buttons.
He placed the boy's small glasses on the side table before changing him into the onesie, sighing in relief when he saw the boy was out of diapers. He cast a charm on the onesie just in case and quickly changed into his own pyjamas.
He smiled to himself as he settled the toddler on his chest and closed his eyes to sleep. James had missed the calming feeling he always had when taking care of one of his younger cousins. Nothing, honestly, had ever made him as happy as taking care of kids.
He’d forgotten that.
Maybe he ought to talk to McGonagall again and reconsider her offer to become her teacher’s assistant in Transfiguration after he graduated.
oOo
“Bloody hell.”
James squinted his eyes open and saw a blurry figure towering above him. He groaned and fumbled for his glasses. Remus quickly came into clarity with a fierce scowl on his face.
“What the blazes have you done?”
James smiled awkwardly. “I can explain?”
This seemed to only enrage the werewolf more. “Honestly, James! You’re Head Boy now, you can’t keep pulling crap like this!”
James sat up slowly, being careful to keep an arm around the toddler on his chest as he did. He scratched his head and watched his friend rant loudly as he paced their dorm. Sirius and Peter slowly woke up and scowled at the prefect.
“Remus,” James interrupted when the man finally paused for breath, “what exactly is it that you think I’ve done?”
Remus paused and wrinkled his nose as he gazed at the toddler now awake and rubbing his eyes tiredly as he sat in James’ lap. “Frankly, I’m a bit too scared to ask.”
James rolled his eyes, a fond smile on his face and reached for the second pair of glasses on his bedside table. He settled the small coke-bottle ones on Harry’s nose and pushed the larger square frames up the bridge of his own.
Sirius, meanwhile, barked out a laugh and rolled out of bed. “We found him in the forest last night.”
“Oi!” Peter called from his bed, blond hair and pale face peeking out from a roll of bed covers. “Why wasn’t I invited?”
Remus glared at him. “Because they know they’re not supposed to be out there, that’s why.”
“Well, it’s a good thing we were,” Sirius retorted arrogantly as he combed through his clothes for something clean to wear. “Who knows what would have happened to the poor kid otherwise.”
Remus looked pained as he realised he didn’t have a good argument against that. He sighed and turned to the boy. “And what’s your name, then?”
The baby looked over from where he’s been playing with James’ hair and smiled at Remus. He raised his arms and bounced excitedly. “Moony!”
All four teenagers froze.
The toddler waddled to the edge of the bed and Remus caught him before he fell. The boy wrapped his arms around Remus and kissed his scarred cheek.
Remus breathed in deeply and shook his head, confused. “He smells like you,” he informed the still shocked James.
James ran a hand through his messy black hair, the same hair as the boy in Remus’ arms. “Well, I did hold him all night.”
Remus shook his head slowly, still staring at the smiling boy. “That’s not what I meant.” He pulled back and stared into the boy's bright green eyes curiously. “What’s your name?” He smiled at the toddler like it was a game. “Can you tell me your name?”
“‘arry!”
“Harry?”
The toddler nodded excitedly.
James, now standing with his other dorm mates, watched Remus nervously. “Moony?”
Remus looked at his friend and sighed heavily. “This boy is pack.”
James and Sirius remained silent.
“How is that possible?” Peter questioned.
The only people who were a part of Moony’s pack were Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail.
Sirius nudged James. “He called you dad last night,”
James’ brow furrowed. “Yes, but it was dark and very late—”
“Harry,” Peter interrupted, “who’s that?” He pointed to James.
“Daddy!”
James couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face even if he wanted to. He moved forward and picked Harry up and out of Remus’ stunned arms.
“We should take him to Dumbledore.”
“After breakfast,” Sirius said, throwing a tie around his neck that he neglected to knot.
“And a bath.” James said this to Harry with an adoring smile and moved towards the bathroom. “Someone want to transfigure something for him to wear?”
Sirius threw his hand into the air. “On it!”
“James!” Remus called and followed him into the lavatory. “A bath? Really?”
James didn’t even pause as he unbuttoned Harry’s onesie. “Look at him, Remus,” he implored calmly.
He knew better that to act nervous or freaked out, children were incredibly sensitive to such emotional shifts in others. Remus complied and noticed for the first time the dark circles under Harry’s eyes, the thinness to his face and the dirt on his nose and hands.
“He clearly needs a bath and honestly it’d probably do him a world of good beyond just getting clean.”
Remus couldn’t deny that. He moved forward and turned the taps on in the bath, being sure to turn on one of the ones for the bubble bath. Harry giggled and nearly dived out of James’ arms in his rush to get to the bath.
“Oi!” James called with a laugh and struggled to get Harry fully undressed as the boy squirmed and laughed. With a splash, Harry finally found his way into the bath.
Remus sighed, the front of his robes covered in soapy bathwater. He shrugged them off and knelt down at the side of the tub to help James bathe a swimming and happy Harry.
“Where do you think he came from?” Remus asked as James scrubbed shampoo into the toddler’s hair, easily keeping the suds out of his eyes. Remus watched on, impressed with James’ natural ability.
“No clue.”
Neither mentioned the fact that Remus had basically confirmed Harry as his son, nor the fact that Harry had basically confirmed it himself with his knowledge of the Marauders. The impossibility of a two-year-old child that James was positive he couldn’t have was too much for even the Marauders.
“Could he be a cousin?” Remus reasoned, not quite ready to accept that Harry was what all the evidence was leading them to believe. “Another Potter?” He fiddled with the towel in his hands uneasily, knowing he was entering dangerous territory.
James shook his head, his shoulders taking on the tense posture they usually did when the subject was brought up. “No.” He said with cold finality. “I’m the last Potter… now.”
“Yes, but there could be—”
“Remus!” James snapped. “There’s no one else, just drop it.”
Both men remained quiet, even Harry paused in his playing to watch them silently. Sighing, the tension left James’ shoulder and he smiled at Harry.
“All done?”
Harry smiled softly and nodded. He raised his arms and James took the towel from Remus before wrapping it around Harry and slowly lifting him from the bath. James dried Harry off, Harry laughing as James made a game of it and Remus smiled gently at the two.
“If I didn’t know it was impossible, I'd say you were his dad.”
James plopped Harry’s glasses back on the toddler’s nose and smiled fondly. “Don’t get my hopes up, Moony.”
Remus’ brows rose. “You want kids?”
He didn’t know why it was shocking. James took care of all of the Marauders. Remus before, during, and after full moons. Peter when he had problems in class and social anxiety. Sirius when he had nightmares and needed a place to get away from his family. James had always been very good at taking care of other people.
James lifted Harry into his arms, still ensconced in the fluffy red towel. “I’ve always wanted them.” James headed out of the washroom. “Oi, got those clothes for our young Marauder?”
Peter and Sirius smiled broadly and bounced towards James and Harry. Remus, robes perfectly dry thanks to a charm, leaned against the doorframe and smiled fondly at his friends. James handed Harry off to Peter and Sirius.
“Don’t break him,” he looked at Remus and pointed at the other two, “watch them. I need to get ready.”
James moved toward his bed and got changed as Sirius and Peter attempted to dress Harry. Harry squirmed out of their arms and laughed loudly as he raced around the room starkers.
Remus’ laugh boomed as he watched Sirius and Peter run after the naked toddler. Finally deciding to intervene, Remus caught the babe and headed towards his friends. With the werewolf’s help, they were able to dress Harry into a red jumper with a golden snitch charmed to fly across the fabric, and a pair of toddler-sized jeans and little All-Star high-tops.
Harry sat down heavily, mesmerised by the snitch. His hand dashed towards the gold specks as they paused briefly across his chest and tummy.
Sirius sighed dramatically. “Well, that’ll keep him busy.”
Peter studied Harry. “He’s quite good.”
James, shaved and dressed, smiled down at the rather preoccupied toddler. “I think we’ve got a little seeker on our hands.”
Harry looked up at James leaning over him from behind. “Daddy!” He raised his hands to be picked up.
James grabbed Harry’s hands and pulled him to his feet. “Breakfast time, Harry?”
Harry nodded eagerly. James took Harry’s hand in his own and they slowly made their way out behind the other boys.
“We’re going to do some stairs, Harry, can you do the stairs?”
“Yeah!” Harry took the steps slowly one at a time, his hand tightly holding James’ for support.
Sirius paused with a pained look on his face. “That’s going to take forever, mate.”
James smiled and nodded once. “Go one ahead, we’ll meet you in the Great Hall.”
Sirius watched their slow progress for a moment longer before nodding and dashed down the steps. James smiled at Harry’s look of concentration as he showed James how well he could walk down the stairs.
Eventually they made it to the common room to find a beautiful redhead waiting impatiently. “There you are, James!” Lily Evans called. “The boys already went ahead, what took-”
“-Mummy!” Harry squealed and raced towards Lily.
Lily froze, eyes wide in horror. Harry hugged Lily’s legs.
“What have you done?”
James was suddenly concerned he’d break something with how hard he had to hold back his laughter. Lily Evans had never looked so terrified in her entire life.
“Morning, love.” James kissed Lily’s frozen lips before stepping back and smiling easily.
“Where the-” Lily glanced down at the toddler clutching her leg, “- H-E-L-L did you get a kid?”
James looked around the empty common room before whispering, “The Forbidden Forest.”
“What?” Lily hissed back in outrage.
“Yes, I know, dangerous. Remus already scolded me.”
“No! Well yes, actually, but more importantly what was a - he-?”
“-Harry,” James supplied easily.
“Huh?”
“His name is Harry.”
Harry looked up at the sound of his name and smiled brightly. Lily was taken aback by his bright green eyes — her eyes.
“Mummy,” Harry raised his arms, hand making the grabbing motion once more. “Up!”
Lily looked petrified. “What - what does…?”
James bit the side of his lip. The laughter trying to bubble up inside of him was forcibly shoved back down. “He wants you to hold him.”
No — now Lily looked petrified.
Harry’s eyes filled with tears and his bottom lip wobbled.
“He’ll cry if you don’t.”
James glanced down at the teary-eyed and sad looking toddler. He had to admit, the kid was good at manipulation. Damn, James thought to himself, the evidence of Harry being his son was really becoming absolutely ridiculous in how overwhelming it was.
Lily quickly picked Harry up, her hands under his armpits as she held him at a distance.
James held back a snicker. “Right, now actually hold him.“
Lily made a face but didn’t move. Harry swung his legs back and forth, his fingers popped into his mouth messily.
“Merlin, Lils, haven’t you ever even seen a child before?”
Lily frowned uneasily. “From afar.”
James sighed and moved forward. He easily guided Lily’s arms so she held Harry at her hip. The toddler smiled and rested his head against her chest. Lily looked down, pleasantly surprised by how much she loved the unconscious action of the boy.
Lily looked up at James and smiled enthusiastically. James’ eyes glittered with delight at the sight of Harry in Lily’s arms.
Lily pursed her lips. “Don’t get any ideas, Potter.”
James smiled unabashedly. “Too late.” He moved around her before she could scowl and headed out of the common room.
Lily glanced down at the babe in her arms before racing after him. “James, wait! I don’t know what I’m doing!”
James laughed but slowed so they could walk together. Lily looked down at the toddler at her hip, one hand still stuck in his mouth and getting more slobbery by the second. She made a face.
“We need to take him to Dumbledore.”
James nodded and easily reached over to pull Harry’s hand out of his mouth. He cast a nonverbal scourgify to get rid of the mess. “After breakfast, Harry’s hungry.”
Harry, meanwhile, had taken a sudden interest in his surroundings and moved around restlessly in Lily’s arms as his attention was captured by the moving portraits on the walls. One of the portraits made a silly face at Harry and the toddler giggled loudly.
“And,” Lily huffed as Harry squirmed and tried to touch a portrait, “and why does he think I’m his mum?”
James frowned worriedly at Harry. “Don’t know, but he also thinks I’m his dad, looks like us, and recognized Remus and called him Moony.”
Lily’s eyes widened at the last bit. She looked back and forth between Harry and James.
“This is surreal.”
James leaned into Harry and touched his nose. Harry laughed and tried to grab James’ finger. Lily caught Harry before he fell and repositioned him on her other hip.
“I think it’s fantastic,” James said with a warm look to Harry.
Lily studied his face. She’d never really seen James look like that before — maybe once or twice, it was quite rare really. He looked content. Lily’s heart sank.
“You really want kids, don’t you?” She stopped walking and watched him with bright eyes.
James made a face and kept walking. “Why is everyone finding that so surprising?”
He rolled his eyes. He stopped walking when he realised that Lily hadn’t moved. He turned to her and his widened when he saw the tears streaming down Lily’s cheeks.
“Lily? Lily!” James raced back to his girlfriend and held her face tenderly as he wiped away her tears. “What’s wrong?”
Harry watched them with wide eyes.
“I - I,” Lily shook her head and swallowed past the tears, “I can’t have kids.” James’ eyes widened. “I’m so sorry. We never talked about it and-”
-James kissed her.
“I love you, Lily, nothing else matters.”
Lily scowled at him. “Of course it does. I saw the way you were looking at Harry-”
“-We’ll adopt.” James replied with a shrug.
“And that’s good enough for you?”
James tenderly brushed Lily’s red locks behind her ear. “Lily Evans, you are all I’ve ever wanted, as you know, and anything I have with you is more than enough.” He smiled at her with the warmth and love that he’d only ever felt for her — his own special smile just for her.
Lily’s lip trembled. “You swear?”
“I solemnly swear.”
Lily stared into his bright hazel eyes a moment longer before she nodded once. James wiped away her stray tears and Lily sniffled. Harry leaned forward suddenly and wrapped his arms around Lily’s neck. He kissed her wetly on the cheek.
“Love you, mummy.”
Lily blushed and smiled tentatively at the toddler.
“Come on, breakfast is nearly finished and we haven’t even sat down.”
Together they turned and headed in the direction of the Great Hall.
Silence greeted their arrival.
The Head Boy and Girl froze at the entrance to the Great Hall as they very suddenly became the sole focus of the school. Harry seemed inordinately heavy in Lily’s arms.
“I’m going to go set up the meeting with Dumbledore.” James headed down the centre aisle.
“James!” Lily hissed. “Wait!” She dashed after him, feeling the heavy stares of her classmates on her back.
“Morning, Professors.” James greeted genially as he stepped up to the staff table.
"Good morning, Mr. Potter.” Headmaster Dumbledore greeted, more amused than James had ever seen him before.
“I was wondering if I might have a meeting with you in your office after breakfast?” James glanced over his shoulder to Lily who was struggling to keep Harry’s hands out of her hair. “There’s a bit of a situation.”
“It seems so.
“Mr. Potter?” Professor McGonagall inquired wearily. “May I inquire into where exactly you found this boy?”
At James’ pained face, Dumbledore replied calmly. “Oh, I’m sure such questions will be answered in full after breakfast. Don’t you agree, Mr. Potter?”
Albus’ stare was heavy. James knew his secret of being an animagus was coming to an end today. The Head Boy grimaced and nodded.
Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow at Lily’s struggles with the toddler and offered, “Might I suggest you leave the boy with us until the meeting?”
“Ow!” Lily’s face was flushed as Harry’s hands tugged on her hair.
James leapt forward and tickled Harry’s sides. Harry laughed gleefully and let go of Lily’s hair. He fell back into James’ waiting arms and smiled up at him happily. James smiled back and held the toddler close before turning back to his pleasantly surprised professors.
“Thank you, Minnie, but I’ve got it.” James tickled Harry’s side again. “Breakfast time?”
“Yeah!”
James nodded at his professors before guiding Lily over to their friends at the Gryffindor table. Harry smiled at the stunned professors over James’ shoulder and waved.
Minerva turned to Dumbledore, mouth pinched in concern. “You’re going to just let them go, Albus?”
Dumbledore studied James as he eased Harry onto his feet on the bench of the table. Harry leaned on the table excitedly as James pulled a bowl of porridge towards him. The Head Boy leaned close and gestured to various bowls of fruit, which Harry either nodded or shook his head to in response.
“They seem to be doing quite well as they are, wouldn’t you agree?”
McGonagall couldn’t help but smile as he watched James sit beside Harry and feed him his porridge and fruits. The teenager did it naturally, as if it were second nature.
“Where on earth do you think the boy came from?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea, Minerva. But we’ll need to find out where he belongs.”
McGonagall nodded. “I’ve the book in my office that we’ll need. I’ll grab it and meet you in yours.”
Dumbledore nodded once and McGonagall rose before leaving the Great Hall. Albus remained at the head table, slowly sipping his pumpkin juice as he studied the Head Boy and his young charge. The resemblance was uncanny. And if the whispers across the Great Hall were anything to go by, Albus was not the only one who’d noticed it.
“Curiouser and curiouser,” the Headmaster murmured to himself before rising and heading to his office.
THE END