Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When a dark bright eyed stranger walked into the fork police station with an arm full of wriggling toddler, police chief swan had no idea what was in store for him.

He had always considered himself a good judge of character, it was practically in the job description, but it usually took him a while to form an opinion on someone new. He liked to observe and assess and evaluate the evidence of them as he gathered it. But almost as soon as he laid eyes on him, Charlie swan thought Harry Potter was wonderful. There was no other word for it. Of course he didn’t find out his name until after his opinion had been formed, but when he did learn it he couldn’t help but feel it suited him too.

He was young to be a parent of a toddler, but there was an obvious resemblance in the features of the child in his arms and having been a teen parent himself, Charlie was all too aware that parenthood cared little about age when making its choices. The stranger wrangled the boy with practiced ease as he approached the front desk, lifting him up to sit on the counter as he turned to address Charlie.

‘Hi there,’ British. ‘I was wondering It you could help us.’ Polite. ‘It’s a bit of a strange request but I’m really not sure who else to ask.’ Intriguing.

‘We’re being defectives!’ The little boy chimed in. He looked to be around five or six years old. A well loved blue hat covering his hair, eyes the same shade as his fathers. His knobbly little hands clutched around a crumpled piece paper.

‘Detectives, cub.’ The man corrected, grinning down at the boy.

‘Thas what I said.’

‘Well, I’ll help if I can. What seems to be the problem…?’ Charlie asked, trialling off leadingly.

‘Harry, Harry Potter. And this is Teddy.’

‘Hi there Teddy, Harry. I’m Charlie swan.’

Teddy waved and Charlie saw that the paper he was holding was a map.

‘What seems to be the problem, Harry?’

‘Well you see, I’m looking for someone in the area and I haven’t the faintest idea where to start. It’s an old family connection but I only have the town name to go on and it’s a lot bigger than I was hoping it would be.’

Charlie laughed. ‘I think that’s the first time anyone’s ever called Forks big. Do you know the name of whoever you’re looking for?’

‘Not in present day. I found an old letter to my great uncle from an Ephraim Black? I don’t imagine he’d still be around but if there’s anymore of the black family around, I’d love to find them.’ He looked at the little boy on the counter between them, slender fingers fussing with the blue hat that had slipped down over his eyes. ‘It’s just teddy and me left, now that his gran is gone and I want to give him the chance to grow up with more family than I did.’

Charlie felt himself smile, something warm taking up residence behind his ribs, distracting him from the jolt of surprise at the name ‘As it so happens, Billy Black has been my best friend since we were teddy’s age. We still go fishing at least once a week.’

Harry’s face lit up, and Charlie was hit by a cacophony of sparkling green eyes and dimples the size of sink holes. ‘You’re kidding! What are the odds.’ He said, shaking his head wonderingly. ‘Hear that ted? We’ve found another clue!’

‘Yay!’ Teddy cheered, making Charlie laugh.

Unsure of what came over him, Charlie found himself saying, ‘Tell you what, my lunch breaks about to start, if you boys haven’t eaten yet I know where to find the best sandwiches in town. We could grab a bite before I run you down to la push it meet Billy?’

Harry looked surprised, cheeks flushing slightly. ‘You don’t have to go out of your way, you’ve already helped so much.’

‘It wouldn’t be out of my way at all. It would be my pleasure.’ Charlie insisted, trying to convey how much he hoped Harry said yes without actually saying the words.

Sooty dark lashes swept down over pink cheekbones as Harry looked down bashfully, and Charlie mourned the loss of eye contact for a moment before they came back up with a smile that landed like a devastating blow.

‘Well then. I think we’d like that very much.’

Chapter Text

‘Next stop, Billy blacks.’ Harry said, picking teddy up.

‘I can give you a ride if you don’t mind riding in the cruiser.’ Charlie offered as he held the door of the diner open to let Harry’s and teddy through.

‘You really don’t have to go to the trouble.’ Harry insisted, hiking Teddy up higher on his hip.

‘It would be my pleasure. Really.’ Charlie promised, praying Harry said yes. He was pushing it to call this a lunch break but he wasn’t ready to say goodbye yet.

Harry graced him with one of those devastating smiles of his before turning to look conspiratorially at the little boy in his arms. ‘What do you say, Teds? Do you want to ride in a police car?’

‘Yeah yeah yeah!’ He crowed bouncing around excitedly. It was only ease of practise that Harry kept a hold of the wriggling child.

‘Well then, lead the way, Chief swan.’ Harry said grinning.

‘How many times? It’s Charlie, please.’ Charlie insisted.

‘Lead the way, Charlie.’ Charlie couldn’t seem to get enough of the way Harry’s voice curled around his name like a summer breeze, causing that caused goosebumps to erupt along his skins he lead the pair to the cruiser.

—

‘Charlie! This is a surprise.’ Billy exclaimed when he opened the door.

‘Hey Billy.’

‘Who’s this?’ billy asked looking over at Harry and Teddy curiously.

‘Harry Potter.’ Harry said, holding his hand out for Billy to shake. ‘And this is teddy. We’re tangentially related to you.’

Billy’s eyebrows raised in surprise. ‘You don’t say.’

Harry fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a yellowed piece of parchment, handing it over to Billy. ‘Our great-however-many -great Uncle had this letter from Ephraim Black? Pretty much the whole English branch of the family has died out. It’s just me and teddy and a couple of less than stellar cousins left, so I thought I’d try and track down the branch in forks. Hopefully give teddy some less racist family connections.’

Billy scanned the letter, before looking up at Harry with a smile. ‘Well I’ll be. Ephraim black was my father. He’s dead now but I have two daughters, Rachel and Rebecca and my son Jacob. And I’m biased but I think we’re pretty good as far as family goes. And not racist.’

Harry beamed. ‘Wicked.’

Charlie’s cell beeped in his pocket. Checking it he sighed. ‘Shoot. I better get back. I may be the chief but I think I’m pushing it calling this a lunch break.’

Harry looked stricken. ‘Oh god! I didn’t mean to get you in trouble. I’m so sorry.’

‘It was absolutely no trouble at all. Best lunch break I’ve had since I joined the force. I should be thanking you. In fact I will. Thank you for a lovely afternoon.’

Harry rolled his eyes, smiling. ‘If you mean that, then you are most welcome.’

‘Cross my heart.’

Harry grinned, sucker punching Charlie in the gut again. ‘Well, we had a brilliant time, didn’t we cub?’ He said, glancing down at the little boy bouncing next to him.

‘Yeah!’ The little boy shouted jumping up and down excitedly.

‘What do we say?’ Harry prompted with a calming hand on teddy’s head.

‘Fank you mr Charlie!’

‘You are very welcome, young man.’ Charlie smiled at him before turning his gaze back to Harry. ‘I best get going but here.’ He reached into his wallet and drew out a card. ‘Let me give you my card. If you or teddy need anything while you’re in town, just holler at me. And I mean anything, mind.’

Harry glanced down at the card as he took it, colour flaring high on his cheeks as their hands brushed. ‘we just might take you up on that. Thank you, Chief swan.’

‘Charlie.’ Charlie insisted again, ignoring the side eye he could feel Billy giving him.

Harry’s eyes glinted playfully. ‘Charlie.’

Charlie found himself unable to stop thinking about those eyes the rest of the day.

—

Charlie still wasn’t able to stop thinking about it the next day. When he was out fishing with Billy, he couldn’t help himself bringing it up.

‘How’d it go with the new relations?’

‘Good. Black family history was discussed, bonds were formed. He’s a good kid. He was also mighty curious about you.’ He added, giving Charlie a pointed side eye.

Charlie’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Well, what all did you tell him?’

‘Hmm, well let me see. I told him how we met and a bit about your work and Bella. Oh and I told him you’re single.’ Billy finished with a smug smile.

Charlie’s head snapped up. ‘What would you go and tell him that for?’

‘Cause I ain’t never seen you light up for anyone the way you lit up around that boy. Not even Renee on the good days.’ Billy said reasonably.

Charlie felt himself flush. ‘Don’t be ridiculous. Like you said. He is a boy. I’m old enough to be his father.’

Billy scoffed. ‘If you had him when you were about twelve. He maybe a smidge younger than you i’ll grant, but I think that’ll be good for you. Remind you your’e not even forty yet instead of counting down the days till you retire. He’s a grown ass adult and a father to boot. He’s perfectly capable of choosing what he wants.’

‘Well, what makes you think he even wants me?’ Charlie continued belligerently.

Billy gave him a look. ‘Don’t ask stupid questions.’

‘It’s not a stupid question!’ Charlie exclaimed, throwing up his free hand.

Billy rolled his eyes. ‘If you woulda paid half a mind to how he was looking at you, than yes it is. I don’t know how you managed it, but you charmed that boy silly.’

Charlie opened his mouth to protest again but Billy interrupted.

‘You’re allowed to be happy without them Charlie. You’re not helping anyone by staying on your own. Renee found someone new, you can too. Even if he is nearly half your age.’

Charlie pondered this as they lapsed in silence, letting the sounds of the water lapping against the boat and the ambient sounds of the local wildlife wash over him as he thought.

If he was being honest with himself, and he generally tried to be, Harry intrigued him. More than intrigued, he was captivated. He seemed like the first exciting spark in what had admittedly so far been a fairly boring life, aside from maybe Bella’s birth but that whole period of his life was tinged with the blinding terror of unexpected parenthood. He found it hard to believe someone as vivacious and interesting as Harry could find anything worth pursuing in Charlie. He wouldn’t say he was ugly to look at but he wasn’t anything to write home about. The smile lines around his eyes were etched deeper than he’d like and the grey was sprinkling at his temples more liberally by the day. He knew some people had a preference for older men but Charlie wasn’t as smart or suave or rich as your average silver fox. The only things that he’d gained with age were stiff knees and the inability to digest sugar after ten pm.

Unbidden into his head came the memory of flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes focused entirely in him. He’d made Harry laugh. He’d been distracted by how much he liked the sound at the time but thinking back on it, Harry had seemed to genuinely enjoy his company. He wasn’t well versed in telling when someone was interested in him, as evidenced by the disastrous but thankfully short lived period when Monica Crowley had set her sights on him.

‘Even if he is interested, I don’t have his number.’ He pointed out.

Billy opened his mouth to give a no doubt scathing reply when he was interrupted by the chiming of Charlie’s cell phone.

Frowning, Charlie pulled it from his pocket somewhat dreading the awaiting message. The only people who messaged him on his day off tended to be his colleagues and they only did that when something bad had happened. His heart jumped into his throat for an entirely different reason as he read it though. It was from an unknown number but its contents made it clear who it was from.

Hi Charlie, I was wondering if I could trouble you for a dinner recommendation? Teddy and I ended up having ours out of the gas station last night cause I didn’t realise what time the diner closed. And maybe you might like to join us? My treat, as a thank you for all your help. I know teddy would love to see you again.

Only teddy? Charlie typed back, heart in his throat.

<>There was a pause before Harry responded, I’d quite like to see you too.

Dinner sounds great. What time do you normally eat?

Does 5 work?

His heart was really trying to leave him. Perfect. See you then Can’t wait x

Charlie stared at that x for a long time until, Billy pointedly cleared his throat. Starting Charlie looked up. The i-told-you-so expression his oldest friends face told him he knew exactly who he’d been texting. Charlie didn’t swear often but he found himself telling Billy to go shove his opinions somewhere unmentionable. But he felt buoyant and not even Billy’s raucous, slightly condescending laughter could burst that bubble.