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Tetwell Estate was magnificent. Centuries-old and made of light-coloured stone, the small castle was surrounded by beautiful gardens and a magical forest just beyond. Apparently, it had even been owned by the Potter family. That was centuries ago and it had changed hands several times before finally going abandoned for the last century.
The second that James and Lily had seen it, they’d fallen in love. There was something about it that spoke to them. Perhaps something magical about it that drew them to its pretty rose gardens and tall, arched windows.
The repairs and renewal of the charms took some time. Months longer than James and Lily were happy about. Finally, on November 3rd, the couple was able to move in. It wasn’t an ideal time. James was big on the Yule holiday spirit and it was hard to decorate a house that they were still trying to settle into – because yes, he did decorate the house on November first, and no , Padfoot, it’s not annoying.
There were boxes everywhere. The kitchen and bedroom were finished first and everything else was slowly coming second. Some rooms were completely empty and would likely remain so until after the New Year.
“Honestly,” Lily huffed as she stepped into the glittering gold ballroom, “do we even need a ballroom?”
Her voice echoed around the space. There was a crystal chandelier that hung prettily above them. The long, red curtains that draped artfully around the floor-to-ceiling windows perfectly framed the view of the gardens beyond. It would be stunning in the spring and summer when the garden was green and vibrant.
“Of course we do!” James protested exuberantly.
He raced forward, catching his wife’s hand and spinning her into his arms. Lily laughed brightly as he quickly turned them around the ballroom. He finally slowed, a smile on his face as he took in the utter delight on his wife’s face. Her bright green eyes and soft orange hair never failed to fill him with awe. This wondrous, beautiful creature was his wife – his partner – his everything.
James’ eyes teared. He pressed his forehead to Lily’s as they swayed gently in the middle of the massive ballroom. A record scratched and then, out of the silence, an old gramophone began the warbling tunes of Clair de Lune .
James and Lily turned at the sound. He hadn’t even noticed the old thing sitting in the corner of the room. His smile widened and he let out a short burst of laughter.
“I think that means we’re welcome to dance here,” he joked.
It was a centuries-old house on a magical plot of land. They’d expected a few eccentricities when they’d purchased it. For it to possibly hold the same level of magical omniscience as Hogwarts would be a wonderful surprise though.
Lily hummed.
James gently led her in a slow dance to the warbling melody of the song.
“Or we could turn it into a library?” Lily suggested softly.
James gasped, a hand to his chest. “We just got approval and now we’re going to change it into a library?”
Lily laughed. “James! We aren’t ever going to use it as a ballroom. Might as well make it a space that people can enjoy properly. Besides,” she added before James could speak, “it’s massive, we can still leave room for dancing.”
James hummed loudly, even though they both knew he was going to say yes. He glanced around the ballroom.
“I don’t know, what do we think, yeah?” he asked loudly, speaking to the house. “Should we add some books and carpets, maybe tear down those dusty curtains?”
In answer, one of the curtains ripped as if the end had been roughly tugged. The heavy fabric fell to the floor with a dull thud .
James and Lily stared with wide eyes. They’d never seen Hogwarts do that .
“I think that’s a yes,” James mused.
~*~
The magical things continued to happen, which wasn’t a surprise. The surprise was with the regularity with which they happened. Things moved frequently. Doors opened and closed. One memorable morning, James came into the kitchen just after midnight to find a glass of milk and a plate of cookie crumbs on the counter.
It was when James and Lily were searching for a Christmas tree in the forest that he began to think maybe their house was less magical than they thought and more… haunted.
“I think this one’s good,” James said before a fat Christmas tree.
“It’s ugly.”
“It’s not ugly!” James protested, turning to his wife.
Lily raised her eyebrows. “I didn’t say it was!”
James frowned. She hadn’t, he realised. The voice that had spoken was not his wife’s voice. But someone had said it. James looked around.
“How about this one?” Lily pointed to a taller tree that was too sparse for James’ taste.
Someone blew a raspberry.
Lily huffed, her back still to him. “Fine. We’ll go with your ugly tree.”
“It’s not ugly!” James protested as he looked around for whoever was hiding amongst the trees with them.
He heard the crunch of leaves and moved to investigate. There was the hint of a tiny foot in the mud that had James’ heart racing. There were toes in that footprint. There was some tiny-footed child out here without shoes on!
“James!” Lily called and hurried after him.
James followed the sound of crunching leaves. There was a childish giggle that floated along the breeze to him. He broke through the treeline to a small clearing and instead of finding the little boy, he found a towering Christmas tree.
James came to a stop and looked around the clearing. There was nothing. No sight of a boy. No sound of giggling in the wind. He felt a chill run down his spine.
“Oh!” Lily gasped when she caught up to him. “It’s perfect.”
James looked up at the tree, a frown forming on his face. “Yes. Yes, it is.” He turned to his wife. “Did you hear someone else?”
Lily shook her head.
“Giggling?”
She raised her eyebrows. “Giggling? James, love, did you not sleep last night?”
James tried not to scowl at the question. He was an insomniac and rarely slept and when he did, it was spotty, at best. Of course, he hadn't slept last night but he was delusional. He would need to go another few sleepless nights before that happened.
James huffed. “I’m fine. Let’s get this guy home. He’s massive, I think we’ll have to put him in the library.”
“It’s not finished yet!”
James grinned widely. “Motivation! Come on. I want to get another for the entrance hall and then one for the main living room!”
Lily shook her head. “Do we have enough ornaments for this many trees?”
“I’ve already ordered more. The one in the main hallway will be Gryffindor-themed. We’ll put our sentimental ornaments on the living room one – that’s where the presents will go – and then the library one can be the expensive one.”
Lily smiled at her husband. “You have a problem,” she told him lovingly.
“Says the woman who married me.”
“I was tricked,” she immediately stated. “Bamboozled. I only wanted the money, but now I’m stuck.”
James released a short laugh. “Jokes on you then, I spent my fortune on Christmas decorations. Good thing I married you for your brains. You’ll make us back that money.”
“Ha!” Lily scoffed and crossed her arms. “Jokes on you , I was merely pretending to be smart. All I’ve got is good looks and a terrible sense of humour.”
James rested a hand on her arm in comfort. “We all have our crosses to bear.”
Lily snorted a laugh. James chuckled before leaning in and giving her a kiss. He cupped her cheek, deepening the kiss when she leaned into his chest.
“Gross!”
James pulled back. “Alright, I know I heard that one!”
Lily eyed him weirdly. “I think need to take a nap. Let’s get this guy inside, alright?”
James stared suspiciously around the forest.
~*~
Everyone came over on December first. The whole lot of their friends and family. It was the first real get-together they were hosting at Tetwell Estate and James was bouncing around with excitement.
Christmas music played loudly from the old gramophone that he’d had fixed up. He’d charmed it to sound in all the rooms at a good, low level so that no one had to shout. Tinsel, garlands, and mistletoe were hung all across the main floor and up the grand staircase. Little fairy lights twinkled within the garland and cast a warm glow across the first floor.
“Uncle Jamie!” Neville squealed happily when James picked him up and tossed him in the air.
“There he is. The godson, the life, the legend – Neville Longbottom ,” James announced and pressed a loud kiss to the little boy’s cheek.
Neville giggled loudly before hugging his godfather close. Frank and Alice were just behind him with a baby girl on each hip. James greeted the family happily.
“How’re the twins?” he asked as he set Neville down to fix Frank a drink. “Tea, Allie, love?”
“They’re loud,” she teased. “Do you have apple cider?”
Frank set Ainsley on the ground and accepted the whiskey from his friend. The baby immediately crawled across the rug towards her twin sister.
“Sure thing.”
He passed by Lily on his way out of the living room, who was bringing a platter of appetisers for everyone. He popped a kiss to her temple and she smiled in return before entering the room.
“Auntie Lily!” Neville shouted happily, the call following James as he made his way to the kitchen.
He was standing at the kitchen island, pouring some hot cider into a mug for Alice when the bar chair on the other side of the island moved as if for someone to sit down. James paused what he was doing and looked up.
“Hello?” he asked tentatively to the otherwise empty room. “Are you- would like a drink?”
The hairs on the back of his arms and neck rose.
He almost turned to pour a glass of spiked eggnog when he remembered the cookies and milk in the middle of the night. James, feeling a little silly but that wasn’t exactly new, put together a plate of fruits, cheeses, and crackers from the charcuterie board they would bring out next. He set the plate in front of the chair and then a mug of cider.
“Careful, the cider is hot,” he warned slowly.
There was no verbal response, no things moved, and there was no more hair raising on his body. James sighed and shook his head. He grabbed Alice’s drink and the charcuterie board before he headed back to the others.
Peter had arrived with his muggle wife, Marie. James greeted the man excitedly. He rarely saw Peter anymore, now that the man had all but given up magic for the muggle world and his wife. Lily saw him and Marie more often. Marie and she had gone to muggle university together and she was the one that introduced Peter to his future wife.
The two chatted amicably until Sirius and Remus showed up.
“You’re late,” Lily accused, fists on her hips. She was wearing a pretty, emerald green dress that James loved. His face softened every time he looked at her. Alice had told him he was sickening twice already.
Sirius scoffed. “Fashionably,” he returned with a flip of his dark curls.
“Everyone,” Remus stated before Lily could respond. He had a child’s hand in his own and a little girl with wild brown curls and big brown eyes stared up at everyone with obvious hesitancy, “this is Hermione. Hermione, say hello.”
Hermione turned and buried her face in Remus’ trouser leg. James’ heart melted at the sight of the little girl. He’d known Remus and Sirius were adopting, but he hadn’t known she’d be here for Christmas. He had to bite down on his tongue to keep from shouting happily. It would probably only scare the obviously shy little girl.
Sirius crouched down behind her and put his tattooed hands on the girl’s shoulders. “It’s alright, pet. We’re all family here. Don’t you want to meet Daddy and Papa’s family?”
Hermione turned and stared up at Sirius with those big brown eyes that already had James wrapped around her finger. He glanced over at Lily as she all but melted into his side at the sight of the little girl. He wrapped his arm around Lily as they watched the little family together.
Sirius tapped Hermione’s little button nose, dusted with light-coloured freckles on her tanned skin. “They’re your family too now, kitten.”
Hermione raised her arms and Sirius grinned as he scooped her up. He set the little girl on his hip and headed further into the living room.
“This is Uncle James and Auntie Lily,” Sirius introduced in a soft voice.
Hermione leaned her head against Sirius’ shoulder and curled her arms into her chest.
“They own this monstrous house. It’s like a castle. We’ll have to dress you up like a princess next time, won’t we?”
“What’re you talking about?” James objected. He smiled warmly at Hermione. “She already looks like a princess.”
A smile spread across Hermione’s face and she turned to hide it in Sirius’ chest.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Hermione,” Lily said. “You let me know if you need anything, okay? I’m going to make some hot cocoa for Neville and your Papa, Remus. Would you like one too?”
Hermione looked up at Sirius who nodded encouragingly. “Yes, please,” she responded softly.
“Coming right up.”
Remus walked past and Hermione reached out for him. Sirius passed the little girl over without a fuss and the two went to inspect one of the bookshelves in the living room.
“She’s adorable,” James told his best friend and brother.
Sirius sighed happily. “The second we met her – everything just clicked. She’s still painfully shy, but she’s better when it’s just the three of us.”
“Maybe you can schedule something with Frank? Is she about Neville’s age?”
“Year older. They’ll be in the same school year though.”
James nodded.
“She just- doesn’t play with others much?” Sirius continued in a low tone of voice. “She likes reading – loves it. She and Remus sit together and he reads aloud to her. It’s fucking adorable, honestly.”
James smiled at his best friend. “I’m so happy for you, Pads.”
Sirius squeezed James’ shoulder. “You and Lily could adopt too, you know?”
James nodded. “I know. We will. We want to,” he assured. “But we want to settle into the house first. We’ll start looking in the New Year. Or trying for one ourselves. I think we should adopt first though. I want to dedicate the time to making that child feel at home here, you know? I don’t want them to feel pushed aside.”
Sirius smiled. “You’re gonna be a fantastic dad, mate.”
James couldn’t help the flush of warmth in his chest at that comment. There wasn’t much else James had wanted since he was a child. He’d always wanted to be a dad. He and Lily had bought a big house so they’d have room for all the children they planned to have, adopt, and steal from their friends for sleepovers. There had to be enough room for everyone, they’d agreed.
James went to grab Peter and Marie’s coats later that night as the couple readied to leave. They had another party for Marie’s muggle family that they had to get to that night as well. He was passing through the entrance hall when he heard giggles.
James stuttered to a stop. He looked around. Those childlike giggles sounded eerily similar to the ones he’d heard in the forest two weeks ago.
The giggles sounded again.
James slowly edged around the curve of the grand staircase. His shoulders dropped as all the tension left his body. It was Hermione.
She was standing before the towering mirror in the entrance hall. There was a table under it with the elaborate Santa’s village that Lily set up each year. The little homes glowed from within. Snow magically drifted down onto the table and over the homes and plastic trees.
Hermione turned her head to the right before she giggled at the red muggle truck on the table again.
“Hermione?” he gently called as he stepped closer.
The girl’s head whipped around, her dark curls flying.
James smiled warmly. “Having fun?”
She stepped back from the table and clasped her hands behind her back. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he rushed to assure her. He crouched down beside the little girl. “This is Lily’s Magical Santa Village. It’s meant to be fun. Were you having fun with it?”
Hermione glanced to her right and back to him. She nodded.
His smile widened. “Good, then it’s doing its job. Lily will be very happy to hear it.”
Hermione eyed him like she thought he might be lying. She turned her head again before nodding and turning back to him.
James eyed her for a moment. “Are you… playing with someone?”
She nodded again.
He grinned. “What’s their name?”
“Harry,” she quietly informed him.
“Oh? I like that. Harry’s a good name.”
Hermione gave him a small smile.
“And is Harry your friend?” he asked.
Another nod.
“That’s good. He’s been your friend long, then?”
Hermione shook her head and her little ringlets flew about her head. She pushed them out of her face.
“Well, that’s alright,” James continued with a nod. “I’m sure Harry’s going to be a great friend to you. Did you know, that was the nickname for my grandfather?”
Hermione shook her head.
“His name was Henry, but everyone called him Harry. He was Harry the third, actually. Before him, Harry the second made hats. Harry the Hatter they called him.”
Hermione laughed.
“Funny isn’t it?”
“And Harry the first?” Hermione asked, her head tilting.
James blinked. “Well… I don’t know what he grew up to be. That was a long time ago. Harry the first ran off, didn’t like the magical world much, I don’t think.”
Hermione looked to the side and back again. “Harry doesn’t like that story.”
“No? I suppose it’s a bit silly,” James agreed. “Everyone likes magic.”
“It’s wrong,” Hermione informed him with an air of superiority in her tone that she’d almost certainly learnt from Sirius.
James couldn’t help but smile. “Is it? Does your friend know the real story then?”
Hermione looked to a spot right beside James. He felt the hairs on his arms raise. He looked as well but didn’t see anything.
“Harry says that he loved magic. The faeries asked him to play and he did. But he got lost and now he can’t get back home.”
James’ brows drew together. “Is your friend... Harry the first?”
Hermione nodded.
“What a coincidence,” he murmured. He held out a hand. “Let’s uh- let’s get back now, shall we?”
Hermione took his hand and allowed him to lead her back to the others. She stopped and turned back. James looked as well, just in time to see the red truck slowly moving across the table.
“Bye, Harry!”
The truck stopped moving.
Hermione looked up at James. “We can go now,” she informed him.
James swallowed. “Right. Sure. Okay.” He led her back to the others as he swallowed his panic.
~*~
“I think the house is haunted,” he told his wife later that night as he lay next to her in bed.
“I haven’t seen any ghosts.”
“Neither have I. But I’ve… noticed things.”
“Such as?”
“Voices. Feeling like I’m not alone? Someone had milk and cookies the other night.”
They’d also eaten the plate of food he’d left out during the party today, but so many people were over, it could have been anyone. Right?
Lily turned and raised an eyebrow at him. “James, if you start eating all the Christmas cookies and blaming it on ghosts, I’m not going to find it cute.”
James’ jaw dropped. “I would never-”
-Lily raised her other eyebrow.
“Okay, I would. But I’m not. Honestly, it’s just… there’s something about this house.”
Lily pushed up onto her elbow. “Do you not like it anymore? You were so excited to move here. Reclaiming your family history, you said.”
James opened his mouth. No words came out. He got out of bed. “I’ll be in the library.”
“James?”
“Don’t wait up!”
“It’s midnight, James!”
“Love you!”
“I married a sleep-deprived lunatic,” Lily’s muttered complaint just barely made it to him as he shrugged on his robe and slippers. He was out the door and heading to their newly made library without another word.
~*~
James was buried under a pile of books. It was so late that it was early – possibly almost dawn. His research on ghosts and ghostly children had turned up next to nothing. Nothing he didn’t already know, at least. Ghosts were visible – like the ones at Hogwarts. Ghostly children were the same. They didn’t follow any special sort of rules.
Then James remembered what Hermione had said, “ ... the faeries asked him to play .”
Faeries. Now that was a thought.
Faeries lived in another realm he knew and his research at one in the morning had confirmed it. How did other realms work though?
Another reality was entirely separate, like an alternate universe of its own. Alternate timelines followed that same logic. Realms fell under planes of existence, James figured out in Reality, Realms, and Rare Regions.
There were multiple planes that existed one on top of the other. One of these was the faerie realm. Technically, it would be possible for a muggle or magical to slip into another plane of existence by accident or even on purpose. It was how faeries stole and replaced children with changelings.
Was Harry replaced with a changeling? No, James was fairly certain that Harry the first went missing as a child. He, of course, hadn’t said exactly that to Hermione since he didn’t think it was an exactly child-friendly story to share.
Perhaps Harry the first had just slipped away into the faerie realm. What were the rules regarding that? Could he leave the property? Had he been here the whole time? For centuries? This house had been abandoned for decades before he and Lily bought it.
Had the little boy been alone for all that time?
James felt his stomach twist. He had to find a way to get the boy back from the faerie realm. He couldn’t just leave Harry there, stuck between worlds and all alone. James was sure the boy was lonely.
First thing first, James had a very important question he needed to be answered.
James stood and looked around the library.
“Harry?”
He waited for a response before calling again. When still no response came, James left the library and headed through the massive, silent house. Eventually, he thought he heard something in the living room. He ducked inside to find the massive Christmas tree all glittering with magical lights and sparkling with glass ornaments.
“Harry?”
He passed through the room, down the hall, and into the entrance hallway. He stopped in front of the little Santa village on the hall table. James looked up and his eyes caught on the image of a little boy in the reflection of the tall mirror before him.
Harry was a tiny, pale little boy with messy black hair and bright green eyes. He had a pair of thick black glasses on his nose. He was wearing light blue striped pyjamas as if he’d just stepped out of bed for a glass of milk and would be heading back in a second.
James felt his entire body tense. He didn’t move. Some unspoken feeling told him that if he turned around, Harry would disappear again.
“Hi,” James whispered.
Harry, half hiding behind a door, raised a hand and wiggled his fingers in greeting.
“Harry, I have two very important questions for you, okay?”
Harry didn’t respond.
“Are you in danger?”
James didn’t know if there were faeries after the boy or other threats that needed to be worried about in the faerie realm. He needed to make sure that Harry was safe, first and foremost.
Harry shook his head.
James breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded. “Okay. Second one. It’s a big one.” He paused and Harry stared at him through the reflection of the mirror with wide eyes. “Did you want to make cookies today?”
Harry’s face lit up like a Christmas tree.
~*~
“Alright, now we just coat them in sugar…”
James took the round shortbread cookie off the cooling rack and dipped it into the bowl of granulated sugar. He coated both sides before setting it on a glass platter.
“Alright, give that one a go,” he said to the seemingly empty kitchen.
He turned back to the shortbreads and began coating a few others in sugar. When he looked over, the shortbread cookie was gone.
“Liked that one, did you?” James nodded. “I like shortbread better than sugar cookies. There’s more flavour, although that’s probably just because there’s more sugar. These are almost done.” He nodded to the shortbread. “Think that’s enough for Santa?”
“No!”
James nodded. “You’re right. Let’s do chocolate chip too.”
“No cookies for Santa. All the cookies are for you and me.”
James laughed. “What about Santa Claus?”
“He’s not my friend. You are.”
James’ chest warmed at Harry’s declaration. He smiled down at the shortbreads as he dipped another one in sugar.
“Right, well, Santa is everyone’s friend. Aren’t you excited for him to bring you presents?”
There was a pause and then Harry asked, “Santa brings presents?”
James stilled. He looked up at the barstool where the voice had come from. There was a half-finished glass of milk and a plate of cookies in front of it. James blinked widely.
Did Harry not know who Santa was? Why was that so surprising? Santa hadn’t really become a household, commercial concept until this century. Harry the first was from centuries ago.
“Santa Claus is a very powerful and very kind wizard,” James explained slowly. “He wears a red suit lined with white fur. He rides a red sleigh that flies with the magic of flying reindeer. And he goes all around the world on Christmas and delivers presents to all the good children.”
“I never got presents from Santa.”
“Well,” James replied at length as he tried to come up with an excuse for that. “I think he had a hard time finding you. I certainly did. But now that I know where you are, I can get all your past presents from Santa and make sure they get to you this year.”
“You know Santa?” Harry exclaimed.
James laughed. “I do.” He winked. “I’ll make sure to put in a good word for you, alright?”
“Who’re you talking to?” Lily asked as she entered the kitchen. She came up beside him and kissed his cheek before snagging a cookie.
“Harry,” James replied with a nod to the chair. “We’re making cookies for Santa.”
Lily hummed in amusement. “Oh, really?” She tilted her head. “Did you sleep last night?”
James shot her a baleful look. “I’m not sleep-deprived.”
She made a face. He was definitely sleep-deprived. He, in fact, had not slept at all last night and had the bags under his eyes to prove it.
“If you’re gonna be like that, you can give the cookie back.”
Lily shoved the rest of the cookie in her mouth. “What cookie?” she mumbled.
James couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, that’s enough. We need to leave some for Santa.”
Lily rolled her eyes and smiled. She swallowed down her cookie and raised a hand to James’ cheek. “Please take a nap when you’re done.”
James narrowed his eyes. “Or I could have coffee.”
“Sleep.”
He sighed. “Fine. Just a short one.”
Lily smiled and popped a kiss on his mouth. She snagged another cookie before heading out of the kitchen. “I’m going to do some work in my potions lab!” she called over her shoulder.
“Sounds good.” James leaned across the table once she was gone. “What’s the rule for the potions lab?”
“No going in,” Harry recited.
“Good boy. Have another cookie, love.”
“More cookies and then nap time?”
James smiled. “More cookies and then nap time,” he agreed.
~*~
“Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”
James startled awake. “Wha- Lily?”
“Look!” Harry shouted excitedly.
James sat up, disoriented from being awoken so suddenly. He looked around and saw the blinds shift, letting in the afternoon light.
“Harry?” he yawned as he stood.
“It’s snowing!” an excited voice replied.
James smiled as he pulled open the curtains further. He smothered another yawn as he took in the thick blanket of snow.
“Now, that’s a good layer of snow. Think it’s packing snow?”
“Packing snow?” Harry’s voice questioned from right beside him.
James nodded. “It’s the best for making snowmen. Wanna go see?”
“Please!” Harry replied desperately.
James smiled. “Let me grab my things. Will you be cold?”
“Nope!” Harry’s voice returned, already further away and heading closer to the front door.
“Oi!” James called. “Wait up!”
He raced after the invisible little boy and into the front hall. The front door had been thrown open and little footsteps dotted the otherwise pristine snow beyond. James shook his head as he chuckled. He pulled on his winter gear and headed out into the front yard along with his invisible and not-quite-dead ancestor.
“Alright, how’s the snow feel?” James asked just before a snowball hit his chest. He stumbled as he gave a short laugh. “Oi!”
Laughter sounded from somewhere further off.
“Little devil, you are!” James hollered and shook his fist, a smile on his face.
Harry continued to laugh.
“Okay, well, you’ve clearly got the basics. You’ve made a snowman before?” he asked as he knelt down in the snow.
He began packing together a snowball of his own before setting it in the fresh snow and rolling it across the ground. The snowball immediately began to pick up the surrounding snow and grew bigger.
“I don’t remember,” Harry told him, voice right beside him.
James fought not to jump. He nodded agreeably. “That’s fine. I haven’t made one in ages . We’ll figure it out together.”
James continued to push the snowball around until it was big enough to be the base of the snowman. He began to put together another one. He chatted into the open air as he did. Sometimes Harry answered and sometimes he didn’t.
After the first snowman was complete, James stepped back with a satisfied sigh.
“Another!” Harry declared.
James raised his eyebrows. “Another?”
“It’s a daddy snowman, he needs a mummy and a baby.”
James smiled and nodded agreeably. “You’re right. We need to make more then. A partner for the first snowman. Then a baby or a puppy or something, yes?”
“Puppy?”
James shrugged. “Not all couples have children and that’s okay. You can be a family without having children.”
There was a short silence while James began the next snowball and then Harry asked, “Is that why you don’t have a baby? You don’t want one?”
“Lily and I very much want to have a baby. We want to have lots of babies. But first, we’d like to adopt.”
“What’s that?”
James hummed and rolled the snowball base to right beside the first complete snowman. “It’s when one or two people decide they’d like to have a child but don’t want to or can’t have them on their own. There are lots of babies and children and teenagers out there who don’t have parents. Lily and I want to give one of them a home. Maybe more than one.”
“You can’t!” Harry cried.
James stopped rolling the second snowball and looked up to where the voice had sounded directly across from him.
“If you get a child, you’ll be busy and you’ll forget about me. I don’t want to be alone again.”
James smiled gently at Harry. “Oh, Harry. That’s not going to happen. Do you know why?”
Harry didn’t respond.
“Because Lily and I are going to adopt you . I’ve already decided.”
“How?”
James winked. “I’m working on it. Trust me.”
“Maybe Santa will help you.”
“You know what? That’s a brilliant idea. I’ll ask Santa for help. Now, are you going to help me finish our snow family?”
There was no response but the sound of snow crunching beneath invisible feet, which James took to mean ‘yes.’
When they were done, James stood staring at the trio of snow people. He’d gone inside and gotten some hats, scarves, and mittens for them while Harry collected sticks for their arms. They used stones for the eyes, mouth, and nose.
“They look happy,” Harry whispered.
James felt his chest constrict. He knelt down and stared up at the snow family with the little boy.
“Do you miss your mummy and daddy?” he asked gently.
“I don’t remember them. Where are yours?”
“They’re gone,” James whispered.
“Do you remember them?” Harry asked in a hushed voice.
“I do. They were- they were loving and warm. They only ever wanted the best for me. They were silly sometimes and- and they loved me very much.”
“Is that what having parents is like?” Harry asked and just about broke James’ heart.
James' smile was sad and his eyes filled with tears. He nodded. “Yes. They love you more than anything.”
“Mine didn’t love me,” Harry said as if it were a fact.
“That’s not true-”
“-Then why did they leave me?”
James sighed. “Harry, they didn’t-”
“-No one loves me.”
“I do,” James responded firmly. “I love you, Harry.”
“No. You can’t even see me! You’re lying!”
The baby snowman suddenly crumbled as if pushed to the side.
“Harry!” James exclaimed, more shocked than anything.
“You’re a liar!” Harry shouted, his voice sounding further away. He was heading towards the woods.
“Harry! Harry, come back!”
James leaped up and raced into the forest after the invisible boy. Little footprints led him deeper into the magical woods.
“Harry! Harry, come back! It’s not safe out here at night!”
They had spent so long in the snow, the light was fading fast now.
“Harry!”
James burst through the treeline and into a clearing. A large figure stood in the centre of the clearing. James slid to a stop, eyes wide as he stared at the stag before him. Magic filled the forest clearing, powerful and foreign. He’d never felt magic like it before.
The stag stared at James with dark brown eyes as if staring into his soul. The magic was emanating from the stag. The feeling of the power was protective in nature but so strong that it was threatening at the same time.
James’ eyes flickered around the clearing. Any evidence of Harry had disappeared. Was he gone? He couldn’t just be gone .
The stag huffed, shaking its head and pawing the ground with a hoof.
James’ eyes flickered back to the animal that was clearly magical in nature. He stepped forward and acting purely off instinct, bowed to the creature the way he would to a hippogriff. He made sure to maintain eye contact.
The stag bowed its head in return.
James stood straight again but made no move to go closer. He had a strong feeling that if he didn’t find Harry now, the boy would be lost forever. Currently, he was in some sort of limbo between the faerie realm and the human one. He wouldn’t be alone if he went fully to the faeries, but the thought of losing the little boy twisted something in James’ stomach.
That little boy belonged here. He was a Potter. There weren’t many Potters left. Harry deserved to be with James just as much as James deserved to be with him.
“I’m looking for Harry,” James told the stag softly. “I upset him and I’d like to apologise.”
The stag huffed.
James felt his anxiety crawl up his throat. “Please. He’s been alone for so long. He deserves to have all the things he should have. Loving parents, a happy childhood, friends. He can go to school, fall in love – have a life .”
The stag remained unmoved.
“I won’t let this happen again. He won’t ever be alone. He will be so loved. I promise .”
His final words rang through the forest. James felt the weight of them settle around him – a magical promise. It wasn’t the type of thing to take lightly and James didn’t. He straightened his spine and drew back his shoulders. He stood by his promise. He meant it.
The stag’s head dipped. A bright light emanated from behind the creature. It grew to a blinding intensity and James raised a hand as he closed his eyes. The light faded and with it, the powerful magical presence that had filled the clearing.
James lowered his hand and felt his breath leave him in a woosh .
Harry stood before him in his striped pyjamas and bare feet. The little boy’s bright green eyes met James’ and they stared at each other in silence.
James stumbled forward and knelt down in the snow in front of Harry. He raised a hand and gently cupped the boy’s chubby cheek. Harry’s face immediately crumpled at the touch and he threw himself into James’ arms as he burst into tears.
“Oh, shush, sweetheart. It’s okay, love. I’ve got you. Christ, you're freezing.” James stood with the boy in his arms and quickly turned back towards the house. “Let’s get you home.”
Harry cried into James’ shoulder the whole way back. His sobs eventually gave way to soft tears once they were home. James changed Harry into his warmest sweater and sized it down to fit a bit better. He did the same with a pair of sweatpants and woolen socks. He wrapped his little bundle of joy in the thickest blanket they had before heading into the kitchen with him.
The entire time, James kept up a running commentary in soft, soothing tones. He pressed kisses to the top of Harry’s messy head of hair and ran his free hand up and down the boy’s back.
James set the kettle to boil and grabbed the hot water bottle before sitting down at the kitchen island. He cradled Harry in his arms, continuing his soothing words as he waited for the kettle to boil.
“I’m- I’m sorry for running,” Harry stuttered out. He looked up at James with big green eyes behind his thick round glasses.
James smiled warmly. “That’s okay, love. Just please, don’t do it again.”
Harry shook his head. “I won’t. I- I don’t want to get lost again.”
James leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Harry’s forehead. “If you do, I’ll find you. Every time. I promise.”
Harry turned into James’ embrace and snuggled closer. James happily tightened his hold on the little boy. He had no idea what creature he’d encountered in the woods today – but he could take an educated guess that it was some sort of faerie or faerie adjacent god. Whatever it was, he was grateful that the creature had returned Harry to him. And it had, James was sure. Whatever had happened, it was clear that the creature had only brought Harry back because of James’ promise – one he intended to keep.
“Who is this?” Lily asked as she entered the kitchen. She raised an eyebrow at her husband.
Harry’s little face peeked out of the blankets and peered over at Lily.
“This is Harry,” James introduced casually. “Harry, this is your new mummy.”
Lily blinked widely. She shot James a disbelieving look before she shook her head. A huff of amusement left her as she muttered something under her breath that sounded like, “Of course, it was all real. Why would anything magical be logical .” Lily came closer and gave Harry the sweetest smile. “... Hi, Harry.”
Big green eyes stared back at her. “Hi.”
“Harry, would you like some hot cocoa?”
Harry tensed in anticipation. “Please?” he asked desperately.
Lily winked and tapped his nose. “Coming right up.”
James grinned after his wife before turning his attention back to the boy in his lap. “You know what we have to do now? Write a letter to Santa. We really need to make sure all those presents get here now. He’s got a lot of years to make up for, huh?”
Harry shook his head and rubbed his still-red nose. “No.”
“No?”
“He can give it to other children -- the ones you said that don't have parents.” Harry looked up at James and rested his head against his father’s shoulder. “I’m happy.”
Warmth filled James’ chest. He smiled lovingly down at the little boy.
“You know what, Harry? So am I.”
James pressed a soft kiss to Harry’s forehead.
THE END