All Things Harry

One Last night together.  - - - - -

ok but imagine it did save both of them and lily had to raise harry alone

she emerges from the rubble of her home, limping, her crying son in her arms

but otherwise they’re both ok

when sirius and remus find her sitting numbly in the front yard she can’t bring herself to tell them about the lifeless body she had to walk around in order to get her son out of the smoldering house

they do it for her

they pull james’ body from the wreckage, and summon a blanket to lay over him

with him laid out like that, lily wonders if harry thinks his dada is sleeping

distantly she can hear sirius and remus arguing

“i’ll kill him”

it takes a glare from lily to shut them up

“do you think” her voice is raspy- probably from how much she screamed when she heard james hit the floor

she holds harry tighter and reminds herself that, no matter how much it already felt like she’s dead without james, she isn’t and she has someone to live for

“do you really think,” she starts again, “that he would want you to do that, possibly get yourselves arrested, and leave harry and i alone?”

the boys nod

and slowly they sit down on either side of her

dumbledore and mcgonagall show up shortly after and usher them all to a new safe house

they explain james’ sacrifice 

how his love saved them both

they didn’t need to though- lily knew that was what saved them

they bury him in godric’s hollow, just a few spots away from his parents

and they try to continue living 

peter is found and sent to azkaban but it still doesn’t feel right

nothing feels right to lily

except harry

so she clings desperately to her son

she sends him to muggle school and gets a job at flourish and blotts

“i need to do something, remus, i’m so bored while harry is at school”

she reads harry stories before bed

they have play dates with the weasleys

sirius and remus come over every day and eat dinner with them

and teach harry how to ride a broom

marlene baby sits when lily has to work late

they go for walks in the park

they get a cat, much to sirius’ dismay

and when harry’s letter comes lily wonders if she shouldn’t send him

but for all that it took from her- the wizarding world gave her so much too

best friends, the wonders of magic

james

and harry

so she takes a deep breath and sends him to hogwarts because she knows it’s where he belongs

she meets hermione and the two bond instantly

harry writes her every week

she goes to every quidditch game 

and almost punches dumbledore for allowing her son, this little boy, to remain in the triwizard tournament

and finally, when she’s at bill and fleur’s wedding, lily sees- despite the polyjuice potion disguising him- a determined expression on harry’s face is so familiar

so much like james

so lily lets him go again

the next time she sees him is at hogwarts

and then again in hagrid’s arms

and her heart is on fire because she did not lose her husband, raise harry alone and go through hell just to lose him too

so she turns to the man who started all of this

but just as she’s raised her wand to finish him, who steps forward but neville longbottom

and soon after that it’s over

lily holds her son in her arms, strokes his hair like she did when he was little and cries because she truly thought she had lost everything

“there’s someone you all need to see” harry whispers

they find sirius and remus, he leads them into the forest, and turns a stone three times

and there’s james

lily is vaguely aware of choked sobs coming from behind her- remus or sirius or both, she can’t quite tell

james smiles at her and reaches out his hand to gently brush her face

she can barely feel it but at the same time it sets her world on fire just like the very first time he touched her

“hiya, prongs,” remus murmurs

“boys- you’ve aged well”

“shame you haven’t” sirius says

james smiles sadly at them before turning back to lily

“we never got our proper goodbye”

“don’t be a fool james potter- how can i say goodbye to you when you’ll never leave me?”

he gives her that look

the one that always meant “i love you”

“i love you too,” she whispers

and then he’s gone again

just think about it:

- she gives ginny a stick and poke in their fourth year, the first tattoo she’s ever given anyone - a tiny crescent moon on the inside of her forearm with magic color changing ink - it tells ginny the weather, and glows when the weather is perfect for quidditch

- hagrid gleefully gets a tattoo from luna sometime in the fifth year - on his inner ankle, a square of text tells him about the needs of the creatures around him - he starts sitting with his ankle on his knee to more easily check it

- she gives harry a tattoo the summer before his eighth year - a small horntail, but it moves from his chest to sit on his shoulder or cower in the crook of his elbow as it pleases - it wakes him up from his bad dreams, and keeps him warm in the middle of the night

- she gives neville a tattoo before she was stolen into the malfoy’s manor - it’s a ring encircling his middle finger - the magic of it is simple, transforming into whatever word he needs to see most when he asks it

- seamus gets one not long after neville - it’s a tiny bomb on his collar bone, ticking in time with dean’s heart

- hermione doesn’t want a tattoo at first, but as she grows closer with luna she asks for it very shyly in the middle of her eighth year - it gently pulses with her heart on her shoulder blade, an hourglass on it’s side - it will sometimes stand up and run sand, but only when hermione is very busy or stressed

- george asks for a tattoo that finishes his jokes, many years after the war, when he is an uncle and godfather - luna refuses and instead gives him a non-magical tattoo, a china cup mended with gold over his heart

ron: i...uh...oh no, i must have left it in my room?

mcgonagall: i see

mcgonagall: accio weasley's homework!

ron: nothing happened

Care of Magical Creatures: You need to show dominance over your puppy.

Defense Against the Dark Arts: STREET SMARTS!

Potions: I grabbed it, drank all of it, and said "It's perfume."

Flying: Cars were pulling up and looking over to see who just did that piece of shit move, expecting to see like a hundred-year-old blind dog, who's texting while driving and drinking a smoothie. Instead they see a 28-year-old healthy man trying his best.

Transfiguration: This is an on fire garbage can. Could be a nursery.

History of Magic: That’s like when your gram would be like, “We’d all go play jacks down at the soda fountain!” and you’re like, “No one knows what you’re talking about, you IDIOT.”

Muggle Studies: "I think Emily Dickinson's a lesbian." And they're like, "Partial credit."

Devon and Alfred: 

Slytherin: You'd make a decent prostitute

This is a true gem.