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Author: Rosebeth Story: Four in Time Rating: Teens Setting: AU Status: WIP Reviews: 7 Words: 20,326
Disclaimer: I own nothing, see prologue. He entered the bedroom to find his father pacing about the room. “Good, you’re back. I thought I might go mad if it took you much longer.” They went back to the same chairs they had been sitting in before. “We need to deal with this so we can focus on finding a way home.” “I agree. So what’s bothering you?” Harry was silent for several moments as he considered the best way to approach this. “Without telling you how I know, I know that after your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L., you and Sirius attacked Snape. Sirius once told me that I shouldn’t judge based on you guys being fifteen. But I was fifteen when I learned of that incident, and I never would have done anything like that. I’m having problems reconciling the James Potter that everyone respected and the James Potter who is capable of torturing Snape like that. Which one are you?” “Oh, is that all? I thought this was going to be hard.” Harry glared at his father. “All right then, Harry, I’m both.” “Well, that’s helpful,” Harry said, unable and unwilling to keep the irritation out of his voice. “I was a spoiled rich kid, a complete and total prat to everyone with the possible exception of Sirius, Remus, and Peter. Then something happened and I was forced to deal with the realities of the world beyond the castle walls.” “What happened?” “My father was killed in an attack by Death Eaters.” James paused and that just hung in the air. Harry felt that familiar guilt, but found it odd. How could it remotely be his fault when his grandfather died before Trelawney made that stupid prophecy? “He was the greatest man I knew and suddenly I had responsibilities that I was unprepared for. So I was forced to change from first class prat to an adult. The change hasn’t been easy and I slip up sometimes, but Lily and Remus try to keep me in line.” “But not Sirius or Peter?” “Well, Sirius has the best of intentions and when things get hard on me he tempts me with new and better pranks. Peter is just along for the ride.” James got up and started pacing the room again. Harry thought there might be more, so he just sat there silently waiting. After several minutes, James stopped and looked at Harry. “How do you know about that?” “Told you, I can’t tell.” “Right. Right.” James started pacing again. “Harry, have you ever been to the Muggle cinema?” “No, but I’ve seen films on the telly.” “That will do. Have you ever seen a film starting in the middle?” Harry nodded. “Well, if you see a piece in the middle you can think that a character is bad, but it turns out that he’s really the hero. Do you understand?” Again, Harry nodded. “So you know of this one incident, but you don’t know what led up to it nor do you know of the aftermath.” “I do know! I know that Sirius claimed he was bored and Snape just happened to catch your attention,” Harry snapped angrily. “Yes, you’re right. But you don’t know about the five years prior. Did Sirius tell you what happened afterward?” “No.” James sat back down and looked Harry in the eye. “Let me tell you there is nothing worse than being called into McGonagall’s office to find your father standing there. I had never seen him as angry as he was just then. He spent the next two hours telling all four of us how wrong we were and that he was truly disappointed in us. He didn’t yell—it would have been easier if he had. Instead, he told us that we had failed him. I had to apologize to Snape at dinner in front of the entire school, Remus almost lost his Prefect badge, and our punishment was so severe that it carried over into the next school year.” Harry just stared at his father. He didn’t think about the aftermath, nor had he ever wondered if they had gotten in trouble. It seemed a bit unfair to his father and his friends. “Please don’t judge my whole life on fifteen minutes of stupidity. What we did that afternoon was wrong, very wrong. But it’s been two years and from your perspective it’s probably been close to twenty. I learned a huge lesson that day. I’ve changed since then and I can only hope that I become that person that people respect.” “It wasn’t fair of me. I’m sorry.” James smiled at him and he felt better. “I’m sorry too.” Harry decided that he would use whatever time they had to get to know his parents. And, when they got home he was going to have a long talk with Remus. “Well, son, why don’t we get some sleep?” James asked, grinning. Harry, for his part, loved every time his parents called him son. He wanted to remember every time that it happened. He noticed that James was waiting on a response from him, so he agreed. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* “NOOOOO!” Lily woke screaming into the night. Ginny stirred next to her. “Lily?” “Hmm,” Lily answered, a little breathless. “What did you dream about?” “Nothing. You should go back to sleep.” Ginny sat up and using her wand lit some of the candles near the bed. Lily looked at her, surprised by this action, but the soft light gave her a calm feeling. “You know, I’ve had my fair share of nightmares where I’d wake up screaming. It really helps to talk it out.” “I’m not sure.” “I’m a good listener, and I promise not to judge.” Lily sat up and leaned against the wall. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She gave Ginny a small smile. “It’s funny how much easier life seemed when I woke up yesterday morning.” They both laughed at that. “In my dream I saw James and Harry die. They were killed not with magic but with knives, and they suffered terribly. With their deaths you and I were stuck here and they tried to marry us off to Severus and Lucius. It’s odd that I should think of him as he finished school a few years ago.” “Do you often have premonition dreams?” “No, I never do actually.” Ginny was relieved to hear that. “It’s probably just the stress of the past few hours.” Lily nodded her agreement. “Thanks, Ginny. I do feel a bit better.” Lily paused. She did feel better, but didn’t really want to sleep again. She really needed to get the image of being forced to kiss Snape out of her mind. “Ginny, can you tell me about Harry?” “I wish I could.” “There has to be something.” Ginny’s heart broke. She wanted to tell Lily everything. They deserved to know all about Harry, the same way he deserved to know of his parents. It was just so unfair that life should treat these good people so badly. “I want to tell you all that I know, but I can’t.” “I’m sorry for pressuring you; that wasn’t fair of me. It’s just that he’s touched my heart in a way that I didn’t think was possible. How can I love a son that hasn’t even been born yet?” “It’s easy to love Harry.” “I’m glad he has you to love him.” Ginny just smiled at Lily. “Why don’t we get some sleep?” Ginny blew out the candles and both girls lay back down. Lily, again grateful that Ginny loved her son, was able to fall asleep quickly. She slept the rest of the night without any dreams. Ginny, however, was unable to fall back asleep. She focused her thoughts on Harry, asleep in the next room. She thought of their first kiss at the Burrow, the feel of his arms around her keeping her safe. Eventually, she fell asleep dreaming of a future with Harry. A/N: My continued thanks to Cliodne for her beta work and to all my readers and reviewers.
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