Ficlet: Harry and James
Title: Bloody Plant, Part 2
Words: 983
Rating: PG-13
Characters/pairings: Harry/Ginny, James Potter, Neville Longbottom
Summary: James faces uncomfortable consequences from his previous evening's misadventure and has a discussion with Harry.
Author’s Notes: The sequel to "Bloody Plant, Part 1" and there will be a third part as I seem to be very verbose this week. :)
James woke up feeling like his bum was on fire. He stood on his toes with his back to the mirror, looking over his shoulder to see his bum-which was covered in raised red welts. Bloody plant! Why'd it hurt more this morning than when it happened? James cast a cooling charm and several healing charms, but nothing helped much. At least dressing didn't make it worse. James smelled sausage, making his stomach growl so he went to the kitchen.
Dad sat at the table, drinking coffee and doing paperwork.
"Good morning, James. I put a warming charm on some toast and sausage, and there's coffee in the pot if you want some."
"Thanks, Dad." James went to the stove and poured himself some coffee, adding plenty of milk and sugar. Dad went back to his paperwork, and James wondered if he could cast a cushioning charm on a chair without Dad's noticing. Probably not. James cast one on his bum and took his coffee over to the table.
James put his coffee on the table and braced himself with his hands to sit down gingerly. It didn't seem to hurt more sitting than standing. Good. James took a sip of his coffee.
Harry put down the paper he had just finished and looked at James. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah, sure." James shifted uncomfortably. "Er. Why are you home, Dad?" James reached for his food.
Harry looked at James over his glasses. "To talk to you."
"Oh." James removed his hand from his plate.
"You can eat, James. We aren't going to starve you." Harry rolled his eyes.
James ate. He was starving.
"We give you a lot of freedom with using magic at home, but Apparating without a license is not what we had in mind, so I'm confiscating your wand for two weeks." Harry held out his hand for James' wand.
James wondered how would he perform cushioning charms. He could borrow Al's wand! He knew he was getting off easily, except for never being able to look Mum in the eye again.
"You don't need it for your summer assignments or for most other things you are supposed to be doing. Hand it over."
James gave Dad his wand. Harry pocketed it and took a sip of his coffee. James continued eating. They sat in silence for a few minutes until James had almost finished his food.
"So, tell me about Rachel."
James took a sip of coffee. He supposed he couldn't complain if his punishment was no wand for two weeks and talking to Dad. He actually liked talking to Dad, but he'd never admit it. "She's a Hufflepuff in the year below me. She joined the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team this year, and our practices follow each other so that's how I met her. I stayed after my practice to fly, and she came early . . ." James shrugged.
Harry nodded. "How long have you been going out?"
"A few weeks . . ."
"You must really like this girl. You've never made a few days with anyone before."
James laughed. "I do really like her. Rachel's different."
"I know you don't want to talk about this, but we will need to go over contraceptive charms when . . ."
"DAD!" James interrupted. "We aren't . . . doing anything! Rachel's a year younger than I am."
"I know. And your mum is a year younger than me. Besides, the thing about contraceptive charms is you have to know them before you even start thinking you might need one or it's too late. Your mum and I want grandkids, but not . . ."
James gasped feeling himself drop out of the air and smack into the chair, pain shooting through his bum. He jumped up, clutching the table for support.
"What happened?" Harry stood up, too. "Does your bum hurt that badly?"
"Like you care!" James hissed through his pain. "I heard you laughing at me last night!"
"I'm sorry, James. I laughed at Muriel's unique defense system when I thought your bum would smart for a few minutes. I would never laugh when you're in pain."
James nodded, taking a deep breath. "It hurt last night, but not like this morning. There are red welts I don't think were there before. I cast healing and cooling charms but they didn't help. The cushioning charm helped a little until it just wore off."
"I wonder if the vines are poisoned . . . We need to Floo Neville."
"Dad! NO!"
"I've already taught you the healing charms I know. So if those didn't work, we need an expert. I guess we could go to St. Mungo's . . ."
"I DO NOT want to go to St. Mungo's. I can see the headline now, Plant Poisons Potter Progeny. And then when the article said where the plant poisoned me, I'd have to move to Argentina."
"I'm glad to see you're keeping your sense of humor. So Neville, then?"
"I guess." James sighed. "You aren't going to tell him what happened, are you?"
Harry thought for a moment. "Not unless he needs to know to heal you."
"Dad, please? I know I stuffed it up, but I can't have my head of house and the whole family and family-by-choice knowing. I'd definitely have to move to Argentina then, please?"
"I will leave out as much of the story as possible. Deal?"
"Deal."
Harry cast a Patronus and sent it to Neville. Neville's mimbulus mimbletonia Patronus came almost immediately. Harry listened, then went to his office and quickly returned with his Auror badge which he hung around his neck.
"OK James, I'll side-along Apparate you to Neville's office."
"I thought you couldn't Apparate into or out of Hogwarts' grounds!"
Harry grinned. "Aurors can-our badges make it possible and Neville temporarily removed the wards on his office."
"Does Aunt Hermione know about this?"
"No, she doesn't. Your mum knows, but other than her it can be our secret." And Harry Apparated.
Words: 983
Rating: PG-13
Characters/pairings: Harry/Ginny, James Potter, Neville Longbottom
Summary: James faces uncomfortable consequences from his previous evening's misadventure and has a discussion with Harry.
Author’s Notes: The sequel to "Bloody Plant, Part 1" and there will be a third part as I seem to be very verbose this week. :)
James woke up feeling like his bum was on fire. He stood on his toes with his back to the mirror, looking over his shoulder to see his bum-which was covered in raised red welts. Bloody plant! Why'd it hurt more this morning than when it happened? James cast a cooling charm and several healing charms, but nothing helped much. At least dressing didn't make it worse. James smelled sausage, making his stomach growl so he went to the kitchen.
Dad sat at the table, drinking coffee and doing paperwork.
"Good morning, James. I put a warming charm on some toast and sausage, and there's coffee in the pot if you want some."
"Thanks, Dad." James went to the stove and poured himself some coffee, adding plenty of milk and sugar. Dad went back to his paperwork, and James wondered if he could cast a cushioning charm on a chair without Dad's noticing. Probably not. James cast one on his bum and took his coffee over to the table.
James put his coffee on the table and braced himself with his hands to sit down gingerly. It didn't seem to hurt more sitting than standing. Good. James took a sip of his coffee.
Harry put down the paper he had just finished and looked at James. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah, sure." James shifted uncomfortably. "Er. Why are you home, Dad?" James reached for his food.
Harry looked at James over his glasses. "To talk to you."
"Oh." James removed his hand from his plate.
"You can eat, James. We aren't going to starve you." Harry rolled his eyes.
James ate. He was starving.
"We give you a lot of freedom with using magic at home, but Apparating without a license is not what we had in mind, so I'm confiscating your wand for two weeks." Harry held out his hand for James' wand.
James wondered how would he perform cushioning charms. He could borrow Al's wand! He knew he was getting off easily, except for never being able to look Mum in the eye again.
"You don't need it for your summer assignments or for most other things you are supposed to be doing. Hand it over."
James gave Dad his wand. Harry pocketed it and took a sip of his coffee. James continued eating. They sat in silence for a few minutes until James had almost finished his food.
"So, tell me about Rachel."
James took a sip of coffee. He supposed he couldn't complain if his punishment was no wand for two weeks and talking to Dad. He actually liked talking to Dad, but he'd never admit it. "She's a Hufflepuff in the year below me. She joined the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team this year, and our practices follow each other so that's how I met her. I stayed after my practice to fly, and she came early . . ." James shrugged.
Harry nodded. "How long have you been going out?"
"A few weeks . . ."
"You must really like this girl. You've never made a few days with anyone before."
James laughed. "I do really like her. Rachel's different."
"I know you don't want to talk about this, but we will need to go over contraceptive charms when . . ."
"DAD!" James interrupted. "We aren't . . . doing anything! Rachel's a year younger than I am."
"I know. And your mum is a year younger than me. Besides, the thing about contraceptive charms is you have to know them before you even start thinking you might need one or it's too late. Your mum and I want grandkids, but not . . ."
James gasped feeling himself drop out of the air and smack into the chair, pain shooting through his bum. He jumped up, clutching the table for support.
"What happened?" Harry stood up, too. "Does your bum hurt that badly?"
"Like you care!" James hissed through his pain. "I heard you laughing at me last night!"
"I'm sorry, James. I laughed at Muriel's unique defense system when I thought your bum would smart for a few minutes. I would never laugh when you're in pain."
James nodded, taking a deep breath. "It hurt last night, but not like this morning. There are red welts I don't think were there before. I cast healing and cooling charms but they didn't help. The cushioning charm helped a little until it just wore off."
"I wonder if the vines are poisoned . . . We need to Floo Neville."
"Dad! NO!"
"I've already taught you the healing charms I know. So if those didn't work, we need an expert. I guess we could go to St. Mungo's . . ."
"I DO NOT want to go to St. Mungo's. I can see the headline now, Plant Poisons Potter Progeny. And then when the article said where the plant poisoned me, I'd have to move to Argentina."
"I'm glad to see you're keeping your sense of humor. So Neville, then?"
"I guess." James sighed. "You aren't going to tell him what happened, are you?"
Harry thought for a moment. "Not unless he needs to know to heal you."
"Dad, please? I know I stuffed it up, but I can't have my head of house and the whole family and family-by-choice knowing. I'd definitely have to move to Argentina then, please?"
"I will leave out as much of the story as possible. Deal?"
"Deal."
Harry cast a Patronus and sent it to Neville. Neville's mimbulus mimbletonia Patronus came almost immediately. Harry listened, then went to his office and quickly returned with his Auror badge which he hung around his neck.
"OK James, I'll side-along Apparate you to Neville's office."
"I thought you couldn't Apparate into or out of Hogwarts' grounds!"
Harry grinned. "Aurors can-our badges make it possible and Neville temporarily removed the wards on his office."
"Does Aunt Hermione know about this?"
"No, she doesn't. Your mum knows, but other than her it can be our secret." And Harry Apparated.