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Albus stirs his cup of coffee. ‘You know,’ he says, a grin on his face when he looks up at uncle Sirius and his dad. ‘I think I should have been the one to be named after uncle Sirius.’
His dad rolls his eyes fondly and uncle Sirius guffaws, ruffling Albus’ hair.
‘And why’s that, little Potter?’
‘Because you’re way too cool for James,’ Albus says, shrugging as he takes a sip of his coffee. ‘He’s definitely not worthy.’
‘I heard that!’ James calls out, his face appearing around the corner of the doorway. His nose scrunched up in pretend anger as he looks at his little brother.
‘But consider this,’ Albus says holding his hands up in the air as if he’s presenting something. ‘Albus Sirius Potter. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?’
‘It does. You’ve got a point,’ uncle Sirius says. He shrugs at James who looks offended, his mouth open in shock — to his godson who looks at him with raised eyebrows.
Uncle Sirius and Albus laugh at the two faces. ‘Don’t worry dad. It’s alright. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s just a shame yours was- well, that.’ He gestures to James, sticking his tongue out when his older brother rolls his eyes.
James snorts, shaking his head. ‘You’re the worst little brother, Al. But I know you love and admire me and you actually look up to me and apparently you’re also jealous of my name. So I will let it slide this time. But next time-‘ he gestures that he’s watching Albus before turning to his father. ‘Dad, do you mind helping me with this Quidditch strategy I thought of. I actually wanted mom’s opinion but she’s not here, so would you mind giving your thoughts?’
Harry shakes his head in pretend offence as Albus and uncle Sirius chuckle. James has been announced as Gryffindor’s Quidditch Captain before the new year and he has been busy with thinking of strategies and analysing the ones of the other Hogwarts houses for the entire week they had spent at home for Christmas. He usually asks his mother for help, telling them she is the one that got to play professional Quidditch, not his dad. But their mom left for an unexpected little trip for work.
James is very dedicated to the team and winning the Quidditch cup and Albus wouldn’t have expected anything less from his older brother. Thereby James was a little right, Albus did admire, him for his hard work. Last year he had Albus and Lily Luna write everything down during Quidditch matches so he can analyse the notes after the game, just in case he did make it to Quidditch Captain. He said he’d try and be the best captain the Gryffindor team has ever had, even better than their father. With the notes he was hoping to figure out the strategy of the other team so they can adjust their own to it.
His father gets up, following James to the other room, leaving uncle Sirius and Albus behind.
‘I’ve always wondered and never really asked, but how did you and my grandfather James meet?’ Albus breaks the silence after getting him and uncle Sirius another coffee.
Uncle Sirius takes a sip of his coffee, thinking to himself. A smile appears on his face when thinking back to the first time he had seen his best friend James Potter.
‘It was on the Hogwarts express. I was by myself, I didn’t feel like sitting with my family. I don’t think they would have wanted to sit with me anyway,’ he snorts. ‘So I was walking through the train, looking into the different compartments, searching for one that was empty. Until I walked into one where two boys were sitting. I was greeted by a big smile and kind brown eyes behind a pair of glasses, the same glasses your dad wears. Those big, round ones,’ uncle Sirius imitates the glasses with his hands, making Albus laugh.
‘Who was the other boy?’ Albus asks.
‘Peter Pettigrew,’ uncle Sirius’ face clouds with sadness, mixed with anger when thinking back to the boy he used to be friends with.
Albus had brought his cup up to take a sip of it, but totally forgot about it. He is staring at uncle Sirius waiting for him to continue the story but the hot steam fogs up his glasses.
‘Peter had already walked into the compartment before I did, looking for someone to spend the ride on the Hogwarts Express with. Probably desperate to make friends as soon as possible, because he was afraid to be alone. Before I even had the chance to say something, let alone introduce myself, your grandfather had already gotten up. James had stretched his hand out to me to introduce himself — telling me I could join them in the compartment as there was enough space left. So I did and we had some wonderful talks, enjoyed the sweets James had bought us off the Trolley Witch’s cart. He didn’t once asked me about where I was from, who my family was or anything related to that. It was just us boys and the sweets, having some fun before arriving at Hogwarts.’
Albus thinks of the story his dad told him, about the first time he had met uncle Ron on the Hogwarts Express. Uncle Ron had walked into the compartment, asking if he could join his father because the rest was full. His father happily let him join, happy that he could join the trip to Hogwarts with someone else. When the Trolley Witch came, Ron said he had already brought sandwiches, prepared by his mother, grandma Molly. But his father was happy he finally had some money for himself and the opportunity to spend that on candy, something he hadn’t really had the chance to enjoy when he lived with Dursley’s. To be able to enjoy that with someone that had been nothing but kind to him ever since entering the compartment was almost too good to be true. So he bought all the candy of the Trolley Witch’s cart.
‘That’s a bit rude, isn’t it?’ Albus had jokingly said, getting a confused look out of his father. ‘Firstly, grandma Weasley prepared those sandwiches with lots of love. Secondly, what if the kids in the compartments, that came after yours, wanted to get some sweets?’ The both of them had laughed and his dad had admitted he had never even thought of that because the candy was too good. He also didn’t know if grandma Molly had ever found out about the sandwiches. He hoped she didn’t. But this had been the start of the friendship between his father and his uncle Ron.
Albus smiles at the realisation of how similar the beginning of the three friendships are. Uncle Sirius and his grandfather James. His father and his uncle Ron. His own best friend Scorpius Malfoy and him. All of these friendships had started off in the Hogwarts Express while sharing sweets and the first two duo’s had remained friends even after Hogwarts. It made him wonder if he and Scorpius would stay friends even after their years at Hogwarts, he sure hoped they would be.
His friendship with Scorpius had been like an anchor for him during the first years of school. It helped him to keep his head above water, keeping him from drowning under the weight of the expectations of the people around him and the heavy judgement he used to undergo. Scorpius Malfoy had been that little light guiding him through the dark tunnel. Leading him into the clearing that he was in now. He is now in a better head space, he has accepted that he will not be able to live up to the unnecessarily high and unrealistic expectations that people have of him. He learned to be his own person and that he is good enough and he will always be incredibly thankful for that, for Scorpius for coming into his life.
‘That’s like Scorpius and I,’ Albus says, the brightest smile forming on his face when thinking of his best friend and all they have been through together. ‘Well, Rose and me had walked into the compartment and then I stayed.’
‘Bet you stayed for the sweets, didn’t you?’ Uncle Sirius says with a grin on his face, giving Albus’ shoulder a little nudge. ‘It’s what I did in the first place. We never really got to enjoy sweets at home, so it was absolutely wonderful to get some. It just turned out it was also with great company. Though we didn’t really started bonding until we were both sorted into Gryffindor. I’m sure you’ve heard stories about my family?’
Albus nods, grimacing. ‘Yeah, dad has told me some things but there’s also a lot in the History books that I’ve read. I just know they weren’t that great of a family, especially to you. But also, weren’t they all in Slytherin as well?’
‘They were actually.’ Uncle Sirius nodded as he looked at the Slytherin sweater Albus is wearing. ‘I was the only one from my family back then who was sorted into a different house from the rest of my family. Kind of like how you were the only one in Slytherin from yours, a family full of Gryffindors. Kind of the other way around.’
‘Before little Molly joined me.’Albus scrunches his nose when thinking back to his first year of being in Slytherin. ‘It took me a while to accept the fact that I was the only one in Slytherin, I can’t lie. Especially because both of my siblings and my parents were sorted into Gryffindor. But honestly there’s no other house I could see myself being in than Slytherin. Also, I definitely wouldn’t have the friendship with Scorpius that I have now. It was nice to have a friendly face looking at me when I joined the Slytherin table. Especially with all the people looking at me like my entire head had just been swallowed by the Sorting Hat. Like they had never seen anything as shocking as a Potter being sorted into Slytherin. But luckily Scorpius called out to me, as soon as I stepped off the stool. Telling me that I could join him at the table.’
Uncle Sirius looks at Albus, a wide smile on his face when listening to him talk about his best friend. ‘James did that for me,’ he says. ‘As soon as the Sorting Hat called out that I was sorted into Gryffindor, James stood up. Waving at me, calling my name and telling me to come over. The widest smile on his face, the spark in his eyes that I will never forget. The same one he used to get when he came up with a plan to cause some mischief around the castle. I wouldn’t say he took me under his wing, we complimented each other a lot. But he was always there for me, when I turned 16 I broke away from my family. Fleamont and Euphemia Potter took me in, they accepted me and treated me like their own son. They cared for me and for the first time in a long time I felt loved — I saw what parents should be like. I might have been the happiest I have been in my entire childhood when I was living with the Potters. Then when Lily and James moved in together, I came by a lot. I even got your dad his very first broomstick for his first birthday.’
‘It sounds like you all were really great friends.’
‘They were, still are, some of the most amazing people I have ever met. I’m sure they would have been proud of Harry, they would have been proud of all of you,’ uncle Sirius pinched Albus’ cheek slightly before looking back at his hands again.
‘I saw them,’ Albus says after a while.
Uncle Sirius look back up at him again, confusion and curiosity painting his face. ‘Grandma Lily and Grandpa James. My grandparents. I saw them.’
‘When you were stuck in time?’ Uncle Sirius asks, his facial expression softening when thinking back to when Albus was stuck in time with Scorpius.
Albus nods, wringing his hands together, but a smile on his face when thinking back of his grandparents. The image of Lily and James walking his dad in his stroller, the way they smiled at each other, the love on their faces when tucking his dad in with his blanket.
‘I think they were happy,’ Albus nods to himself. ‘They looked happy. With each other. With my dad. Grandma Lily was absolutely beautiful. Scorpius told me not to interact or interfere, but I couldn’t help it. She looked at me and she smiled so brightly, like she didn’t have a care in the world. Like she was trying to comfort me for something— something she had no idea about.’ He can’t help but smile at the memory of his grandmother smiling at him when he stood in front of her stroller. ‘I really wanted to talk to her, I really wish I could have, but I didn’t. But she seemed like a wonderful and very kind woman.’
‘She had a big heart, she struggled to fit in into her own household. She told me that she loved her family dearly, she always has, but she never felt like she fit. Especially with her sibling, your great aunt Petunia. But she tried because she loved her a lot. She was always smiling at everyone. Showing nothing but kindness, except to James on some days, but he could be a real pain in the ass but she knew how to keep him in check. He was very lucky she loved him as much as she did,’ uncle Sirius chuckles to himself when thinking back of the times Lily used to tell James off. ‘They fit together perfectly. Like they were made for each other.’
Albus’ smile is sad, trying his best not to imagine what his life might have looked like with his other grandparents still alive. He never really met them, he has never known a life with them in it, yet he still misses them. ‘Do you think it’s possible to miss someone you have never really met?’ Albus asks, looking up at uncle Sirius.
Uncle Sirius smiles at him, before pulling him into a gentle hug. ‘I think that’s possible. I’m sure they would have loved you and I’m sure you would have loved them.’
Albus smiles softly as he leans into the hug. ‘I’m sure I would have.’