Just You and Me

Chapter 2. Just You and Me

Lily was sitting on a lush sofa, waiting for her turn.

Today, she was aiming to get a job in the muggle world. She urgently needed a stable source of income since her savings were starting to deplete. It was only a matter of months before she wouldn't be left with a penny to her name. Living in London as a single mother was rather expensive, as she'd quickly come to realise. In just a month after she left the magical world, 25 percent of her savings were used up. In light of this calculation, she barely had three more months before she'd be forced to go running back to James. And her former husband's honour would probably force him to help her.

But that would be a humiliating blow to her pride.

And she'd rather die than go begging to James.

Honestly, she would've liked to live in Wizarding Britain. But after that inflammatory newspaper article, she wasn't sure if she would be safe there. She should be fine, really, but she didn't have enough confidence in her fellow magicals' intelligence to risk her and her child's lives. She wouldn't even be surprised if some people were already searching for her in hopes of killing the 'demon summoner'.

Damn that Rita Skeeter. That bitch had taken away her chance to live a peaceful life. If she ever met her, she might possibly commit murder. It was fortunate that she had been wearing a disguise when she sneaked into Gringotts to exchange currencies. Because the chances of getting mob-lynched were not zero.

Presently, she worried her lower lip as she surveyed the waiting room. There were some dozen men and women who were applying for these posts.

A brand new bookstore was opening in Central London, and a couple of staff members were immediately needed. She had found the advertisement in a flyer while shopping for essentials. Which had led her here, hoping to get that job. But seeing so many people apply for a handful of positions didn't leave her feeling optimistic about her chances. Some of these people would have prior experiences and a good education.

Unfortunately, she had none of those. She had only been able to go through primary school before getting whisked away to Hogwarts. And the employer would quickly contact the mental asylum if she told them how she really had prior work experience under Unspeakables, where she researched new ways to utilise magic.

Lily heaved a sigh and rubbed her face.

What should she do? She really needed this job to make ends meet. And her anxiety was climbing rapidly at the thought of her son. She had fed him a sleeping potion and left him alone in the new flat that she was renting. It was irresponsible of her, she knew, but she couldn't really bring him here. And the idea of hiring a stranger to babysit him didn't sit well with her. She could contact her friends in the magical world. But after James' betrayal, she couldn't really bring herself to trust anyone.

Harry should be fine since he was sleeping. She should stop worrying about him and focus on this upcoming interview.

'What if I use magic to cheat? Then this task would become infinitely easier.'

She wetted her lips and gulped, knowing what she was going to do was bad. But desperate times demanded desperate measures. And she'd already declared that she'd do anything for her son. It was now time to stand true to her words.

Closing her eyes, she rested her head on the backrest, earning sympathetic or amused looks from the people around her who thought she was a college student getting cold feet.

The world went black as she abandoned her sight and looked within instead of out. She easily found the damaged ball of golden light situated somewhere inside her. It wasn't exactly a magical core or something, but rather a hidden door leading somewhere. Magiscape—that was the word she'd started using to describe the world she saw when her eyes were closed.

The room appeared again, even when her eyes remained closed. But instead of the lively, colour-filled world, she saw a grey shadow of it. The walls were no longer forest green. The sofa was no longer deep red. Even the people around her lost their features and became grey spectres. But not everything was without colour. There was a weak golden fog filling the room, filling the entire world. Though what remained most prominent in this plane was the rich golden sea.

This golden sea that had replaced the floor.

She was knee-deep in the sparkling golden waters. Though the term water didn't do it justice. The golden liquid filling this shadow world was thick and viscous, like oil. But it didn't move like the normal sea did. It was still and silent. The only mobile thing in the grey-gold world was the mist that swirled slowly.

It was a strange world, to be honest.

How did this golden sea even exist in this grey room? She didn't know, not really. But what she did know was that this golden sea was constant, whenever or wherever she visited it. It always replaced the floor of whatever room she was in. And it hadn't taken her long to deduce that this sea was magic. Pure magic that filled the whole world. It was this that wizards and witches used when they performed any feat of magic. She herself was a golden spectre here, while everyone else was grey. That hint proved her theory that this sea was magic itself, mirroring the magic inside her.

Her current hypothesis about all this was that the real world was actually two worlds stacked over one another, like two papers placed over each other, entirely touching but remaining distinct. Though it was easier to imagine the material world being the base while the grey-gold world was spread over it, encompassing it completely. And wizards and witches were somehow able to utilise this golden liquid and mist. She didn't know much about it, having found out about it only half a year ago. Further experimentation was required. But this wasn't the appropriate time to get lost in the mystery of magic. No, she was here to use this world to affect the other.

Although she had realised that once entering this state, she couldn't move her body in either the real world or the Magiscape, she'd found an interesting way around that. Instead of trying to stand up from the sofa and slog through this golden sea, she flared her magic. And her golden shadow sprouted wispy tendrils.

Suddenly, she wasn't just a passive spectre and spectator.

It had taken her months of experimentation to understand that this Magiscape wasn't just a creation of her mind but was an actual place that she could use to affect the real world. With practised ease, the golden tendrils attached to the grey silhouettes representing the muggles. If she did this same thing to the magicals, their own magic would act like a protective shield and slap away these tendrils. But these people didn't have that luxury and were easy to exploit. If she had time, she'd have whispered suggestions that would register with them as their inner thoughts and subtly manipulate them as she wanted. But since she didn't have that, she simply commanded them to clear the room.

"Oh, I just remembered I have to pick up my son from school!" The lady beside her slipped off the sofa and hurried away. One by one, the others trickled out, abruptly realising that they had urgent matters to attend to. At last, only Lily was left in the waiting room.

From there, it wasn't difficult to get the job when there were no more competitors.

She felt guilty for what she did. But it was for Harry. And she'd do anything for him.

~xXxXx~

"Who's that?" Isabelle said with a displeased frown.

Isabelle was the owner of the Dreamer's Nook, the newly opened shop. And it was unusually big for a regular bookstore. Then again, if someone had enough money to throw around, anything could be made larger and grander than it was necessary. And Isabelle Flowers was the spoiled daughter of some rich politician who wanted to pretend like she was independent and hardworking when she was anything but that. So she opened a gigantic bookstore with her father's funds, wanting to delude herself into thinking she was unique and not like other spoiled pricks living off their daddy's money.

"He's Harry, my son. I couldn't leave him alone at home and decided to bring him here. Don't worry, he's a good boy and won't cause any disturbance." Lily smiled placidly, placing him down as he began wiggling in her arms. The truth was that she couldn't bring herself to feed him sleeping potion again. That just felt wrong on so many levels.

The other staff members smiled warmly at the wide-eyed child while Isabelle pursed her lips. "If he doesn't cry or cause any nuisance, I'll allow him to stay."

Of course, Harry chose that moment to run stumblingly, crashing face first on the shelf and falling on his butt.

Silence. A pin-drop silence ensued. Everyone looked at him.

He turned his head back and looked at her with large, watery eyes.

"MAMA!" he wailed at the top of his lungs, fat tears running down his round cheeks as he raised his arms, wanting to be carried again.

Lily quickly picked him up and hugged him, cringing under Isabelle's murderous glare.

"To my office."

She almost lost her job on the first day. Thankfully, she had the magic to change people's opinions. And while she couldn't perform any taxing spells due to her broken magic, she did have enough to use wandless cheering charms. After she had sacrificed half her magic, wandless magic became a lot easier. Though saying she 'sacrificed half her magic' painted a false picture. Instead of that, saying she sacrificed the proficiency to channel magic through her body from Magiscape would be more correct.

She could still use the golden waters from the other world, of course. But it was like having a drinking contest where the other party was allowed to chug directly from the bottle while she had to suck through the narrow straw. Compared to other witches and wizards, she was nearly a squib. Even an untrained eleven-year-old would be a little more powerful than her. The only thing she had going for her was her hard-earned knowledge and skills. And that was what kept her from being a hapless damsel.

After returning home with a tired Harry drooling on her shoulder, she marched through the small hall and stepped into the only bedroom. Gently placing him on the bed, she kissed his brow and left him to sleep.

She went to the kitchen and shuffled through the pantry, pondering what to make for dinner. The flat was nice if she was frank. Obviously, it wasn't as luxurious as Potter Manor or Potter Cottage. It just had a single bedroom with an en suite, a tiny kitchen, and a hall. Nothing fancy, but it was enough to live comfortably.

As she pulled out some vegetables and put them on the worktop, she wondered if she should ward their residence.

After some consideration, she shook her head. It was not feasible. Neither did she have enough magic for the task, nor was she going to trust the goblins. It was just not needed. The only people who might come after her were blood purists and sympathisers, and most of them were rotting in Azkaban. And even if they were free, they wouldn't have the ability to navigate the busy streets of Central London to find her. The only thing she'd accomplish by setting up wards was to make her home conspicuous to the special few who could innately sense magic.

No, wards were not needed.

~xXxXx~

The years passed by without much incident. No sympathisers came after her. No one tried to kill the 'demon summoner'. Her life remained peaceful and fulfilling. Even Harry calmed down as he slowly grew up. He became quiet and thoughtful, shedding his loud, bubbly personality. Then again, when someone was forced to spend half their days in a bookstore, they were expected to pick up some good habits.

Lily was also surprised that Isabelle Flowers matured too and didn't close Dreamer's Nook as she'd expected. She wouldn't lie; she'd thought that this bookstore was a temporary thing and that the spoiled princess would quickly get bored of it and shut it down.

So it was a welcome surprise that the store remained open and she didn't have to search for a new job since she was able to keep working at Dreamer's Nook. Fine, she would accept that she'd been quick to judge Isabelle. Then again, at that time, she judged everyone, treating them as her enemies. Not to say that she wasn't careful now, but she'd stopped badmouthing everyone inside her mind and had become less petty. Or so she believed.

"Mum," Harry said, pulling her from her reverie.

She smiled down at him as he pushed his hand forward with his palm up. He was still in his uniform since he came here directly from school.

"Don't cross the road." She warned him, placing the coins in his hand. He was 8 years old now, and she still didn't think he was big enough to go to the other side of the road by himself. She wouldn't even allow him out of her sight, but Harry was a good boy who listened to her every word. It was this angelic quality that allowed her to give him this small freedom to take a short walk alone.

It had sort of become their ritual. Harry's bus would bring him to Dreamer's Nook in the afternoon. After which, he'd pick up a book and read it for an hour, careful not to disturb anyone. As a reward, she'd allow him to go out and buy himself ice cream. And once finishing the treat, he'd return to the store and sit by her side, patiently waiting for her shift to end.

"Thanks." He gave her a bright, toothy grin and skipped away.

Fifteen minutes later, Lily was just giving the customer her receipt when the noise of screeching tires interrupted them. She merely frowned and handed the receipt to the teenager with a well-practised smile. Actually, it wasn't that rare for minor accidents to occur every now and then in this area. And since there weren't any frightened screams or loud sounds of collison, it shouldn't have been a deadly accident, so she didn't deign to pay it any more attention and kept working.

Though her indifference changed when Harry barged into the store with his hand pressed on his forehead.

His eyes sought her frantically, and when their gazes met, tears began dripping down his cheeks. She hurried to him and cupped his face as he cried. It was a small cut, and blood was slowly trickling through it. Smiling apologetically at the dubious customers, she pulled him into the backroom and rummaged through the drawer for a first-aid kit.

"What happened?" She kneeled before him, cleaning the blood from the wound and applying a bandage over it.

He sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "Old lady was walking on the road. And a car came fast. And she didn't hear the honks. And I tried to help her by pulling her to this side. And we both fell. My ice cream fell too. I want my ice cream back."

Lily released the breath that she'd been holding. It seemed he was more upset about the ice cream than about himself. Patting his head, she stood up. "I'll buy you another one. Now pick up a book and sit with me before you injure yourself again."

She ignored his shout of, "Not my fault."

Giving a grateful look to her fellow worker, Diana, she retook the counter and slumped in her seat. She so wanted to go home and stop smiling at the customers. Retail work was very tiring, at least mentally if not physically.

Harry climbed into the chair beside her and opened 'The Hobbit' on his lap.

Smiling softly at him, she ran her fingers through his windswept black hair to destress herself. She rolled her eyes when he pushed her hand away and warned her not to disturb his reading time.

She wasn't given the opportunity to playfully needle him when a middle-aged man trudged up to her and dropped a stack of books on the counter. Giving him a plastic smile, she tallied his order and ignored the way his eyes strayed towards her chest.

'Yes, you bald fucker, I have nice tits. Now take your erotica and jump off a bridge.' That was what she wanted to say, but all that escaped her was, "Thank you. Please visit again."

As she slogged through more customers, her mind returned to Harry.

While this small accident had been harmless, it did make her realise that she needed to have a serious talk with her son. He could've been gravely hurt if things went a little differently.

What if he had fallen towards the road? Before the car? He could have easily died then. And all that for an old geezer who wasn't long for this world anyway.

She really needed to start shaping his personality. Otherwise, she'd have another James Potter who'd sacrifice everything for strangers. And she wouldn't let her precious son turn into some self-sacrificing hero. Fuck that. She'd guide him into becoming more selfish and self-serving. She'd rather have a self-centred brat than a naive one with a hero complex.

Yes, she was definitely having that conversation with him tonight.

Also, his freedom to go out to buy ice cream by himself had to be revoked.

~xXxXx~

Harry was lying on the sofa in the hall, staring at telly when the doorbell rang.

He ignored it and continued watching TV. Today was Sunday, and this movie was too interesting to be interrupted. He was not moving his arse from the sofa until breakfast was ready. He was roleplaying as a sloth today. So even if he wanted to open the door, it would take him hours to do so. And that would be quite redundant. That was why he ignored it again, pulling the blanket up to his nose as he lay on his side.

"Harry! Open the fucking door!"

…

Oh well, the movie was getting boring. And roleplaying as Sloth wasn't that fun. Fine, he would open the door, not because his mum said so but because he wanted to.

He threw the blanket to the side and got up.

Hurrying to the door, he looked through the peephole and found an old man with a long beard waiting outside. Now that the chances of getting kidnapped by an evil guild had vanished, he twisted the knob and opened the door.

"Who are you?" Harry asked frankly, giving the old man a once-over, unable to hide his incredulity.

The man was wearing a bright green long coat over a yellow tank top and pink baggy trousers. And there was also a red fedora over his head. Was he weird for cackling at the get-up? Or was the old geezer weird for sporting such bright colours? Most probably the latter.

Wait a damn minute, was this the new fashion his school friends were talking about? He must be getting old if he couldn't keep up with the trends. How old was he again? Oh yes, eleven. He was getting too old for this shit. Or maybe saying he was too poor for this shit was more correct. Some of his classmates used to tease him about that before he broke their teeth. Since then, they've been awfully polite. Who knew only a punch was needed to set bullies straight? He always seemed to forget to thank his mum for that drunken brawling lesson. He would do it today, he decided.

"I am Albus Dumbledore. May I come in, dear Harry?"

Well, well, well, this old geezer knew his name. Maybe getting kidnapped wasn't as off the table as he had thought. Or maybe he was just a family friend. Probably the latter. But how many family friends had ever visited them? Zero was the answer. So it was understandable why he was so suspicious.

"Mum! Some pansy pillow-biter is asking for entry. Should I kick him in the balls?"

"Harry! Where the fuck do you even learn words like that?" Lily stomped out of the bedroom, done arranging the wardrobe, and determined to twist her vulgar son's ear, conveniently forgetting about her own crass language.

She remembered how she thought he'd grown thoughtful and less loud over time. That was a short phase. Because he regressed in the past couple of years and became more loud and brash. Not that she minded the change much. Harry was precious in all his forms, whether it be silent and thoughtful or loud and chaotic.

She froze mid-stomp once she saw who the visitor was. If it were any other occasion, she would've had a belly laugh at the ridiculous outfit. But at the moment, she couldn't find anything funny.

Harry, unaware of the sudden growing tension, snickered proudly. "Jonnie is making a thesaurus for bad words."

"Go to the bedroom. And close the door." Her tone left no room for argument. And yet, instead of doing as he was told, he closed the main door on Dumbledore's face. Then he rushed towards her and grabbed her arm, hauling her after him and shutting the bedroom door behind them.

"So what's the plan?" he asked urgently, guessing they were in grave danger. He should have listened to his mum like always and run away alone. But the thought of abandoning her at the mercy of that creepy old geezer made his insides churn with disgust.

Lily, who had been blindsided by his quick thinking, broke into giggles as he looked up at her fearfully. She pulled her puzzled son into her arms and kissed him loudly on the head. "We're not in danger. I just wanted to have a grown-up talk with the old man. Now stay here and don't eavesdrop."

Giving him one last endearing look, she left the room and approached the man sitting on the sofa.

Harry wanted to disobey his mum's order; he was eleven years old now. And he was more mature and intelligent than his peers, or so he thought.

Honestly, he was old enough to participate in any conversation. He should be allowed to attend their talks. But past experiences had also taught him to heed his mum's advice. Like the time when she told him not to ride his bike upside down. Or the time before when she had begged him not to treat the kitchen knife as a lightsaber. And there were many instances where he ignored her advice and got hurt. In his eyes, she was the wisest and the prettiest. He couldn't remember her ever being wrong.

Fine, he'd do as he was told. Whatever, he wasn't interested in the boring talks about the tumbling economy or other unexciting crises. He'd confess that conversations like those always put him to sleep.

Jumping on the springy bed, he bounced a little, crawled towards the pillow, and pulled out his treasured Game Boy from beneath it.

Lying on his back, he grinned at the gift he'd gotten on his eleventh birthday.

Turning it on, he got easily immersed and forgot about the old pansy pillow-biter.

In the hall, Lily dragged the plastic chair and sat in it, facing her past. "Professor. I wish I can say it's nice to see you."

Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "Good to see you again, Lily. And I can see you're doing well. I am glad."

She raised her thin, red eyebrows. "Glad? I'd have thought you would hate me for summoning a demon that erased a whole village."

The old headmaster sighed, the brightness in his eyes dimming. "The massacre of Hogsmeade is the most tragic event in recent times. But I believe you weren't involved in that. After all, only a fool takes a demon's words at face value."

"Then James is a fool for accepting the Demon's words. And most of the wizarding world for believing Daily Prophet's nonsensical article." She barely held back her contempt. Frowning, she glanced behind the headmaster. Did the air just shimmer?

Dumbledore offered her a reluctant nod, pulling her attention back. "True. But he was blinded by grief and anger. And you can't really blame the public. In the same paragraph, they were told that Voldemort was killed and Hogsmeade was gone. Anyone will assume that these two events were connected."

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Not my fault that they will eat whatever the Prophet throws at them. So, why are you here?"

"You know why I am here."

"He is not going to Hogwarts," she said with narrowed eyes. She was not letting her son go to a place where she didn't have any power or influence. And she wasn't naive enough to think that people wouldn't take out their anger on a child. If they couldn't punish Lily Evans, then they'd take every opportunity to make Harry miserable for merely existing.

"Why?" Dumbledore frowned. He hadn't really been surprised when Harry's invitation letter returned with a big 'NO'. But that was why he was here, hoping to convince Lily.

"You know why."

"Hogwarts is the safest place in the world. Even the children of convicted Death Eaters are given the courtesy of a good education. Why would you prevent little Harry from getting that? And you might not be up to date with the news. Because most people have stopped believing the Daily Prophet, as Miss Skeeter's articles keep getting more ridiculous and controversial. I can guarantee you that the situation isn't as bad as you're fearing," Dumbledore said, shooting her a beseeching look.

Still, Lily shook her head. "My answer remains the same. I can't protect him when he's not near me."

Dumbledore sighed. "Lily, you can't protect him here either. Did you know how simple it was for me to locate you? You won't stand a chance if someone with bad intentions comes after you. Can you even use magic?"

She stilled, and pressed her lips in a thin line. No, she couldn't use magic. At least not in the ways she was taught. Her ability to use her wand had slowly disappeared some years ago. So did her wandless ability. Now, a wand was just a stick to her in all practicality. And that was a problem. She couldn't even say she had another powerful way to defend herself when her research in Magiscape had hit a dead end.

So yes, she wouldn't be able to protect Harry if some group tried to attack them.

But living in the muggle world was, in and of itself, the best defence. And she could teach Harry magic herself. She didn't need to use magic to pass down her knowledge. The benefits of sending him to Hogwarts weren't good enough to change her mind.

"No, I won't let you take him," she said instead of answering his question.

"Enough. You can't take away Harry's chance to grow up in the wizarding world." A familiar voice made her stiffen.

She looked over the headmaster's shoulder and found James moving out from under his Invisibility Cloak.

"I told you not to step out." Dumbledore exhaled audibly, rubbing his face.

"You were failing. And I couldn't allow it to happen."

James looked just the same, as if the last ten years hadn't even happened. He hadn't aged a single day, still looking like a young man in his early twenties. She, on the other hand, had aged. Not drastically or anything. But if she stood by his side, no one would mistake her for a college student; everyone would think she was his elder sister and not his wife. After all, it wasn't just her proficiency in magic that she had sacrificed that accursed day, but also half her life force.

Unlike James, she only had the lifespan of a muggle.

That reminder made her sour and angry. "James. I see you haven't died in some ditch as I had hoped."

He rolled his eyes and sat beside Dumbledore, looking around critically. "Hello, Lily, as petty as ever."

"I think you meant 'as pretty as ever'."

"I said what I said."

Dumbledore's lips twitched at their byplay, but he stepped in before this playful banter turned any more dangerous. "James was worried about you two, so he asked to tag along."

"He shouldn't have. I am able to raise my child by myself." Lily huffed and crossed her arms.

"Since you want me gone quickly, I will get right to business." James scowled, throwing his leg over his knee. "I offer you and Harry to tag along with my family tomorrow. You can buy Harry's books and wand with my wife and children. It will show the public that you still have my protection and trust. And that should clear the public's suspicions."

"Fuc—"

"And you can become the professor for Muggle Studies at Hogwarts. It will give you the opportunity to remain close to Harry and the ability to 'protect' him."

She snapped her mouth shut, overwhelmed by so many revelations at once. Wife? Children? James was married again? And had children? That meant Harry now had half-siblings?

"How does your accompanying me change the public's perception?"

James gave her a bland look and shook his head. "You really don't know?"

"Get to the point."

"I have been the Minister of Magic for the past three years. And the people love me for all the progressive changes I've brought to the nation."

She blinked once, then twice, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. The fucker had become the most powerful and influential wizard in Britain while she worked ten hours a day in a bookstore. Talk about someone undeserving cruising through life while a talented witch of her calibre withers away due to bad luck. Sometimes life was just too unfair.

Instead of being bitter about it, she should appreciate the benefits she'd reap from being his ex. Well, she could do both. No one ever said she couldn't be bitter and thankful.

"That changes things," she muttered.

"It does, doesn't it?" He smirked airily, knowing she'd accept the offer.

"You can also use the Hogwarts Library to try to find a cure for the loss of your magic. And I'll always be there if you need help." Dumbledore added, still feeling guilty about the price she had paid to kill Voldemort.

Lily leant back in the chair and looked to her left, at the closed door leading to the bedroom. "Fine."

James relaxed and wore a tired smile. "Good. May I finally see Harry?"

'No!' That was what she wanted to say with a cruel grin, but she was smart enough to know when to focus on the bigger picture. "Alright. Stay here, I'll prepare Harry for the visit of his absent father."

"You can't put it that way! I'd have visited regularly if you hadn't kicked me out the first time I came here. You didn't even let me enter this flat," James roared, not going to take that.

He would accept that he had many faults. But he had tried many times to reach his son. And Lily was always there to stop him. He would've used aggressive means if he thought she was abusing their son. But Lily, for all her faults, was a loving and caring mother. So he gradually stopped trying and finally accepted defeat.

"Mind your tone, Potter. Or are you refusing this generous opportunity to meet Harry?" She said with gleaming eyes.

"Please. Let me meet him. I'll try to be more polite." He grounded out, ignoring his pride, in hopes of talking with his son.

She chuckled and walked towards the door, closing it once she entered.

"You heard all that?" she asked.

Harry shrugged, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "No. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Because the Game Boy that you so delicately used is now in two pieces on the floor." She sighed, kneeling and picking up the broken handheld console.

"I was just roleplaying as the Hulk and tried to break it. Good news, I can roleplay as the Hulk. Bad news, I need a new Game Boy," he said with a fake smile that she had mastered for the customers.

She climbed on the bed and sat before him. "It was either him or me. There was no in-between. Would you have abandoned me to go with him? Do you really need a father when you have me?"

Harry sucked in a sharp breath and collided against her, throwing his arms around her and burying his face in her neck. "Never. It's just you and me."

"Yes, it's just you and me. We don't need anyone else." She smiled in relief, holding him tightly. For a moment, she really feared that he would hate her for keeping James away. But she shouldn't have. Their love was far too strong to be marred by this.

Pulling back, she kissed his cheek and slid off the bed. "Come on. Your father is waiting for us. Don't throw any tantrums. I'll suggest you be polite and observant before deciding how to treat him."

"Wasn't he the one who risked our lives to be a hero? Wasn't he the reason that you were forced to sacrifice your magic and life force?"

"Then you already know how to treat him. Though at least be polite in front of him, no matter whatever true feelings you harbour in your heart." She grinned, happy that her baby wasn't going to be all chummy with her ex.

Harry gave her a nod, clever enough to understand that they needed his father to safely return to the wizarding world. And the stories that his mum had told about the magical world sowed a seed of unexplainable nostalgia inside him. He wanted to get back to his real home. And if being polite and holding in his anger was the price, then he was eager to pay it.

As the duo stepped into the hall, Harry offered his father a nervous smile and tried not to stiffen when he was hugged by the crying man.

"Good to see you, father."