Ordinary Lives (snippet 1)
The life-eating angsty fic of doom is currently standing at 5000 words / a third done, so I thought I'd have a break and write something a little more light-hearted. This comes purely from my reaction to the odd comments about an AU where Lily and James are alive. My reaction is usally to flail, and stammer, yeah, but, yeah, but, Voldemort! So, here be AU. I'm having fun playing with this, so ask if you want more. :)
Title: Ordinary Lives
Words: 705
Rating: G
Summary: Harry's got a letter...
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, and the rough shape of the plot is probably recognisable. I'm just playing.
It was an ordinary enough morning when the letter came. Dad was stumbling around living room, trying to find his shoes. Harry’s little sister Alice was hogging the bathroom. Mum was burning the bacon, because she was trying to read the paper at the same time.
Harry, despairing of breakfast, went to open the kitchen window, glancing at the paper as he passed. The headline read INFERNO! Knights of Walpurgis destroy another power station. Ministry of War baffled.
The fire alarm began to bleak, and Mum snatched the pan off the hob, and snapped, “Oh, be quiet!”
The fire alarm stopped and Harry asked, casually, “Is it a new bike?”
“What?” Mum said, fanning at the smoke distractedly. Her red hair was falling down around her face. Harry wondered, yet again, why she always wore that odd stick in her hair if it didn’t even keep it up.
Harry sighed, and gave up. He’d been trying to trick them into telling him what his birthday present was for weeks.
“Mum!” Alice shrieked from the hall. “Mum! The weirdest letter’s come, and it’s for Harry!”
Mum dropped the paper into the sink.
“Padfoot!” Alice shouted. “Give that back! It’s for Harry!”
A letter? For him? He didn’t know anyone who might send him a letter. He didn’t have grandparents, and his parents didn’t seem to have any friends. It was possible that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon might have sent him a birthday card.
He doubted it.
Padfoot bounded into the kitchen, a thick envelope in his mouth, with Alice protesting behind him. The envelope seemed to be made of parchment.
“It’s for me,” Harry said, reaching out.
The dog dodged him, and headed towards Mum. Harry stared after him, surprised. He knew that other family’s dogs weren’t anywhere near as intelligent as the big, black dog who had lived with them all his life. He wasn’t used to Padfoot ignoring him.
The dog sat in front of Mum, and she took the envelope from him, turning it round to read the address. She shuddered quickly, and roared, “James!”
Dad appeared in the kitchen in seconds. His hair was on end, his tie was undone, and he only had one shoe on.
“What? I’m going to be late. And that git Padfoot has been hiding my shoes again.”
Padfoot gave him a tongue-lolling, doggy grin.
“Harry’s letter came,” Mum said, her voice small.
There was a moment of silence. Harry, staring at his father, for a moment thought he might be someone else, someone far less scatter-brained and easygoing.
Then he said, his voice sober, “We’ve been expecting it, Lily. If it was coming at all, it had to come now.”
“I know,” Mum said, twisting the envelope in her hands. “And I don’t want him to be a squib, really I don’t. It’s just-”
“Can I see my letter?” Harry broke in. He was used to these odd circular conversations, though they didn’t usually involve him.
Mum set her lips, but handed it over. Padfoot slipped across the kitchen, and put his head on Harry’s thigh, gazing up at him with pale eyes.
Harry patted him absently, glad of the familiar presence. Even if Mum and Dad were acting strangely, Padfoot was still Padfoot.
The letter was addressed to him in green ink. It was sealed with a large blob of purple wax, the crest smudged where Mum had been holding onto it. Harry thought letters like that only happened in books.
“I bet you’re in trouble,” Alice said, peering over his shoulder.
“Get lost,” Harry said, and broke the seal.
He had to read the letter twice. Witchcraft and Wizardry? A boarding school? He was meant to be going to Greenway College next term, with everyone else in his year. He’d been on the open day and everything.
He looked up. Mum was pale, and Dad had his arm around her shoulder. They were both looking at him.
“But,” Harry said, bewildered, “there’s no such thing as magic.”
Padfoot made an amused, whuffing sound.
Mum reached over and closed the kitchen window. “Sit down, both of you. I’m afraid this is a very long story.”
Harry had the uncomfortable feeling that his life was about the change forever.
Title: Ordinary Lives
Words: 705
Rating: G
Summary: Harry's got a letter...
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, and the rough shape of the plot is probably recognisable. I'm just playing.
It was an ordinary enough morning when the letter came. Dad was stumbling around living room, trying to find his shoes. Harry’s little sister Alice was hogging the bathroom. Mum was burning the bacon, because she was trying to read the paper at the same time.
Harry, despairing of breakfast, went to open the kitchen window, glancing at the paper as he passed. The headline read INFERNO! Knights of Walpurgis destroy another power station. Ministry of War baffled.
The fire alarm began to bleak, and Mum snatched the pan off the hob, and snapped, “Oh, be quiet!”
The fire alarm stopped and Harry asked, casually, “Is it a new bike?”
“What?” Mum said, fanning at the smoke distractedly. Her red hair was falling down around her face. Harry wondered, yet again, why she always wore that odd stick in her hair if it didn’t even keep it up.
Harry sighed, and gave up. He’d been trying to trick them into telling him what his birthday present was for weeks.
“Mum!” Alice shrieked from the hall. “Mum! The weirdest letter’s come, and it’s for Harry!”
Mum dropped the paper into the sink.
“Padfoot!” Alice shouted. “Give that back! It’s for Harry!”
A letter? For him? He didn’t know anyone who might send him a letter. He didn’t have grandparents, and his parents didn’t seem to have any friends. It was possible that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon might have sent him a birthday card.
He doubted it.
Padfoot bounded into the kitchen, a thick envelope in his mouth, with Alice protesting behind him. The envelope seemed to be made of parchment.
“It’s for me,” Harry said, reaching out.
The dog dodged him, and headed towards Mum. Harry stared after him, surprised. He knew that other family’s dogs weren’t anywhere near as intelligent as the big, black dog who had lived with them all his life. He wasn’t used to Padfoot ignoring him.
The dog sat in front of Mum, and she took the envelope from him, turning it round to read the address. She shuddered quickly, and roared, “James!”
Dad appeared in the kitchen in seconds. His hair was on end, his tie was undone, and he only had one shoe on.
“What? I’m going to be late. And that git Padfoot has been hiding my shoes again.”
Padfoot gave him a tongue-lolling, doggy grin.
“Harry’s letter came,” Mum said, her voice small.
There was a moment of silence. Harry, staring at his father, for a moment thought he might be someone else, someone far less scatter-brained and easygoing.
Then he said, his voice sober, “We’ve been expecting it, Lily. If it was coming at all, it had to come now.”
“I know,” Mum said, twisting the envelope in her hands. “And I don’t want him to be a squib, really I don’t. It’s just-”
“Can I see my letter?” Harry broke in. He was used to these odd circular conversations, though they didn’t usually involve him.
Mum set her lips, but handed it over. Padfoot slipped across the kitchen, and put his head on Harry’s thigh, gazing up at him with pale eyes.
Harry patted him absently, glad of the familiar presence. Even if Mum and Dad were acting strangely, Padfoot was still Padfoot.
The letter was addressed to him in green ink. It was sealed with a large blob of purple wax, the crest smudged where Mum had been holding onto it. Harry thought letters like that only happened in books.
“I bet you’re in trouble,” Alice said, peering over his shoulder.
“Get lost,” Harry said, and broke the seal.
He had to read the letter twice. Witchcraft and Wizardry? A boarding school? He was meant to be going to Greenway College next term, with everyone else in his year. He’d been on the open day and everything.
He looked up. Mum was pale, and Dad had his arm around her shoulder. They were both looking at him.
“But,” Harry said, bewildered, “there’s no such thing as magic.”
Padfoot made an amused, whuffing sound.
Mum reached over and closed the kitchen window. “Sit down, both of you. I’m afraid this is a very long story.”
Harry had the uncomfortable feeling that his life was about the change forever.