fic: arrival
prompt: Arrival
pairing: James/Lily
words: 1588
rating: PG
note: For the_moon_in_mae's birthday today!
After the arrival of Harry, it’s not long before James realizes something: he is not the center of attention anymore. And, frankly, this irks him just the teensiest bit. Because since Hogwarts he’s been used to all eyes and ears on him - he was part of the infamous Marauders, after all. Yet now he could suddenly turn into a giant rabbit slipper and his wife wouldn’t even bat an eyelid, much too consumed with their son.
There’s no doubt he loves Harry; loves the way he smiles before he decides to vomit all over daddy’s face; (no, being sick is not uncontrollable to a baby, they decide whether to vomit or not. To be sick or not sick on daddy’s face? That is the question, you bloody playwright); loves the way he likes to bite daddy’s nose; loves to latch his tiny little hands onto daddy’s hair and try and tear it off like it like a rather disgusting wig; loves to put daddy’s glasses in his (unfortunately soiled) nappies…
Perhaps he and Lily should have got a dog instead.
“Lily?”
The redhead is currently battling to feed little Harry while James calls her from across the kitchen table, but it seems like their son wants to climb inside one of the kitchen cupboards rather than eat as his hands squeeze the air in direction of the cabinet of pans. Lily is rather boggled by their son’s fondness for cupboards, especially the one under the stairs.
“Lily?” James continues after no response from his wife. “Love? Lily? Lily love?”
“Hmm?” she finally answers, though it’s evident she’s using her I’m-in-the-middle-of-something-don’t-bother-me-aaaauuuuugh tone.
“I finished the crossword.” He suddenly waves the newspaper in her face, much like a gloating child completing today’s work and wanting praise from their teacher. Completed crosswords are far from what Lily wants to see - she wants to see her son eat that paste in a jar. But she humours James.
“Alright, give it here.” She takes the newspaper from her beaming husband, all the while thinking, I have two children…
“James, you haven’t done it right.”
“What do you mean I haven’t done it right? Of course I’ve done it right.” James always does it right.
“Well, I hardly think the capital of Sweden is,” she looks closer at the crossword and frowns, “ponce.”
“Sorry, I was thinking of Sirius at the time,” he explains, unabashed.
Lily goes on, “And the highest mountain in the world is breasts, is it?" Her husband reddens. “James, you’ve just filled the crossword in with random words without even answering the questions correctly!” She hands him back the newspaper, rolling her eyes.
“Yes, but it’s completed,” James says. Lily doesn’t hear what he says because she’s jumping up and down in delight. Harry did something really quite amazing second ago: he smiled.
“James, did you see that?” squeals Lily. “He made the most handsome smile!” She picks up Harry out of his high-chair and rubs their noses together, cooing at him. “Aren’t you a good wizard, hmm? Aren’t you?” She kisses his forehead and hugs him against her chest. Pathetically enough, James is jealous that Harry is snuggled up against his wife’s chest like that; he hasn’t been there for a while.
“How come when I smile I’m not rewarded?” James points out enviously.
Sensing a certain wizard in the room is feeling left out, Lily goes over to James, sits on his lap and kisses him, but Harry is still in her arms so it’s awkward and not proper.
“You do know I’d prefer the gift of sex, right?”
Instantly Lily presses her hands over their son’s ears in horror. “James!” She smack's her husband's torso. “Not in front of Harry!”
James scoffs, “Oh come on. He’s too young to figure out what we’re saying-”
“I don’t care! I don’t want Harry knowing about sex until he’s at least… forty.”
“Forty?” snorts James. “I don’t think so. Our son will be a ladies man by Fifth year, I bet.”
“Don’t depress me,” Lily sulks. Clearly she wants to be the only woman in Harry’s life for as long as possible. She hugs Harry closer, but unexpectedly he doesn’t want her warmth now, he wants his father’s. “Oh dear,” she says as Harry begins to fuss, “I’m think being shunned here.” Harry appears to be squeezing the air in direction of James now. “Someone wants their daddy.”
“Oh yes, because I’m your favourite, aren’t I?” James teases Lily, taking their son in his arms. Lily snorts, obviously thinking differently. Once James settles Harry in his hands, he brings him close to his face so he can admire the way he’s inherited Lily’s sparkling green eyes, something that’s mesmerised him for all eternity - but unexpectedly Harry vomits all over daddy’s face and the moment is ruined.
“Oh dear,” winces Lily.
“Lovely.” James hands Harry - oddly now immensely upset and crying for no apparent reason - back to his wife. “Just lovely.” He accepts a kitchen towel handed to him by Lily and wipes his face. There seems to be a thick layer of stomach contents that may very well harden in the next few seconds if he doesn’t wipe it off fast enough. “I’m going to mow the lawn,” he announces with a clean face, leaving the room in a huff.
“Oh come on, James,” Lily calls after him, laughing. “You know he doesn’t do it on purpose!”
The door leading to the back garden slams, and simultaneously Harry stops crying, looking up at his mother with big eyes, the kind you see magnified when you look at the back of a spoon.
“Isn’t your daddy silly, hmm?” Lily says, rocking Harry. “You shouldn’t be sick on daddy’s face because he’s a sensitive girl sometimes.” Harry gurgles in response. “Let’s go in the garden.”
She follows James through the back door, Harry nestled comfortably in her arms. The air outside is fresh, but just the right amount. She looks across the garden and smiles: a stag is in the middle of the lawn, pawing occasionally at the ground as he eats grass. The stag looks up at her for a brief moment with the brownest of eyes, then returns to nibbling the lawn again.
That’s a creative way of mowing, Lily thinks. She’s always entranced whenever she sees James’ Animagus form, partly because he looks so handsome, even as something that lacks opposable thumbs, and the fact that he transforms into a creature that is just so him, stubbornly proud. Lily wanders over to him and strokes his coat. James quietly continues eating, and the only sound in the garden is the stag’s teeth chewing grass blades and the occasional daisy. Amidst this, Harry looks terribly excited.
“You know it’s daddy, don’t you?” Lily says in his ear. Harry whines as his little hands try to grab the stag’s antlers unsuccessfully. James sends them both a look which says, this is not a beach and I am not up for donkey-riding, but it’s too late as Lily plonks Harry on James’ back and the stag grunts. Lily has to hold onto Harry because of his general wobbliness and incapability of sitting upright.
James walks around the garden at an even pace, while Lily walks along side of him, keeping hold of Harry so he doesn't fall off. It’s a very sweet moment, apart from Harry dribbling, but James thinks the wet is from rain water. After several minutes James begins to grow tired (and rather bored of circling the garden - it's not that big or exciting), and thankfully Harry has started to nod off and Lily sweeps him into her arms again. She watches as James changes back into a human.
“You make a marvellous donkey,” she tells him once he has ten fingers and ten toes again. “Fancy moving to Dorset and starting a riding business?”
James decides kissing her to death at that point is a good enough punishment for such a remark, but Lily pushes him away. “You have grass breath. Kindly bugger off.”
“Sorry,” he apologizes. Rather unattractively, he spits out some blades of grass that somehow got stuck in his teeth while he was Prongs.
“I think we should owl Remus later, by the way,” Lily mentions. She’s wearing a sly grin and James wonders if he stepped in something smelly on his walkabout of the garden.
“Why?” he answers dreadfully, jealousy getting the better of him. “Oh for God’s sake, I refuse him coming over and having to sit listening to you two talk about books for three hours again. I didn’t think literature orgasms were possible until I put you, Remus, and bloody Shakespeare in a room.”
“No,” Lily says, a little disturbed by books creating sexual climax, though anything was possible with that particular werewolf. “I want Remus to baby-sit Harry for us.”
“Why? What will we be doing?”
Lily has to laugh at his obliviousness. “I don’t know about you, but I will be rewarding you for a smile.” She raises her eyebrows suggestively.
After a pregnant pause, James’ eyes grow wide. “Oh!” He wants to brush his teeth. And do other things. Mainly involving Lily. And clean teeth. “I say we owl Remus now,” he says eagerly.
“Floo him, it’s quicker.”
They make the rather hurried journey back to the house.
“I love you,” he says for no particular reason.
“I know.”
“Actually, I was talking to Harry - but I rather love you too.”
pairing: James/Lily
words: 1588
rating: PG
note: For the_moon_in_mae's birthday today!
After the arrival of Harry, it’s not long before James realizes something: he is not the center of attention anymore. And, frankly, this irks him just the teensiest bit. Because since Hogwarts he’s been used to all eyes and ears on him - he was part of the infamous Marauders, after all. Yet now he could suddenly turn into a giant rabbit slipper and his wife wouldn’t even bat an eyelid, much too consumed with their son.
There’s no doubt he loves Harry; loves the way he smiles before he decides to vomit all over daddy’s face; (no, being sick is not uncontrollable to a baby, they decide whether to vomit or not. To be sick or not sick on daddy’s face? That is the question, you bloody playwright); loves the way he likes to bite daddy’s nose; loves to latch his tiny little hands onto daddy’s hair and try and tear it off like it like a rather disgusting wig; loves to put daddy’s glasses in his (unfortunately soiled) nappies…
Perhaps he and Lily should have got a dog instead.
“Lily?”
The redhead is currently battling to feed little Harry while James calls her from across the kitchen table, but it seems like their son wants to climb inside one of the kitchen cupboards rather than eat as his hands squeeze the air in direction of the cabinet of pans. Lily is rather boggled by their son’s fondness for cupboards, especially the one under the stairs.
“Lily?” James continues after no response from his wife. “Love? Lily? Lily love?”
“Hmm?” she finally answers, though it’s evident she’s using her I’m-in-the-middle-of-something-don’t-bother-me-aaaauuuuugh tone.
“I finished the crossword.” He suddenly waves the newspaper in her face, much like a gloating child completing today’s work and wanting praise from their teacher. Completed crosswords are far from what Lily wants to see - she wants to see her son eat that paste in a jar. But she humours James.
“Alright, give it here.” She takes the newspaper from her beaming husband, all the while thinking, I have two children…
“James, you haven’t done it right.”
“What do you mean I haven’t done it right? Of course I’ve done it right.” James always does it right.
“Well, I hardly think the capital of Sweden is,” she looks closer at the crossword and frowns, “ponce.”
“Sorry, I was thinking of Sirius at the time,” he explains, unabashed.
Lily goes on, “And the highest mountain in the world is breasts, is it?" Her husband reddens. “James, you’ve just filled the crossword in with random words without even answering the questions correctly!” She hands him back the newspaper, rolling her eyes.
“Yes, but it’s completed,” James says. Lily doesn’t hear what he says because she’s jumping up and down in delight. Harry did something really quite amazing second ago: he smiled.
“James, did you see that?” squeals Lily. “He made the most handsome smile!” She picks up Harry out of his high-chair and rubs their noses together, cooing at him. “Aren’t you a good wizard, hmm? Aren’t you?” She kisses his forehead and hugs him against her chest. Pathetically enough, James is jealous that Harry is snuggled up against his wife’s chest like that; he hasn’t been there for a while.
“How come when I smile I’m not rewarded?” James points out enviously.
Sensing a certain wizard in the room is feeling left out, Lily goes over to James, sits on his lap and kisses him, but Harry is still in her arms so it’s awkward and not proper.
“You do know I’d prefer the gift of sex, right?”
Instantly Lily presses her hands over their son’s ears in horror. “James!” She smack's her husband's torso. “Not in front of Harry!”
James scoffs, “Oh come on. He’s too young to figure out what we’re saying-”
“I don’t care! I don’t want Harry knowing about sex until he’s at least… forty.”
“Forty?” snorts James. “I don’t think so. Our son will be a ladies man by Fifth year, I bet.”
“Don’t depress me,” Lily sulks. Clearly she wants to be the only woman in Harry’s life for as long as possible. She hugs Harry closer, but unexpectedly he doesn’t want her warmth now, he wants his father’s. “Oh dear,” she says as Harry begins to fuss, “I’m think being shunned here.” Harry appears to be squeezing the air in direction of James now. “Someone wants their daddy.”
“Oh yes, because I’m your favourite, aren’t I?” James teases Lily, taking their son in his arms. Lily snorts, obviously thinking differently. Once James settles Harry in his hands, he brings him close to his face so he can admire the way he’s inherited Lily’s sparkling green eyes, something that’s mesmerised him for all eternity - but unexpectedly Harry vomits all over daddy’s face and the moment is ruined.
“Oh dear,” winces Lily.
“Lovely.” James hands Harry - oddly now immensely upset and crying for no apparent reason - back to his wife. “Just lovely.” He accepts a kitchen towel handed to him by Lily and wipes his face. There seems to be a thick layer of stomach contents that may very well harden in the next few seconds if he doesn’t wipe it off fast enough. “I’m going to mow the lawn,” he announces with a clean face, leaving the room in a huff.
“Oh come on, James,” Lily calls after him, laughing. “You know he doesn’t do it on purpose!”
The door leading to the back garden slams, and simultaneously Harry stops crying, looking up at his mother with big eyes, the kind you see magnified when you look at the back of a spoon.
“Isn’t your daddy silly, hmm?” Lily says, rocking Harry. “You shouldn’t be sick on daddy’s face because he’s a sensitive girl sometimes.” Harry gurgles in response. “Let’s go in the garden.”
She follows James through the back door, Harry nestled comfortably in her arms. The air outside is fresh, but just the right amount. She looks across the garden and smiles: a stag is in the middle of the lawn, pawing occasionally at the ground as he eats grass. The stag looks up at her for a brief moment with the brownest of eyes, then returns to nibbling the lawn again.
That’s a creative way of mowing, Lily thinks. She’s always entranced whenever she sees James’ Animagus form, partly because he looks so handsome, even as something that lacks opposable thumbs, and the fact that he transforms into a creature that is just so him, stubbornly proud. Lily wanders over to him and strokes his coat. James quietly continues eating, and the only sound in the garden is the stag’s teeth chewing grass blades and the occasional daisy. Amidst this, Harry looks terribly excited.
“You know it’s daddy, don’t you?” Lily says in his ear. Harry whines as his little hands try to grab the stag’s antlers unsuccessfully. James sends them both a look which says, this is not a beach and I am not up for donkey-riding, but it’s too late as Lily plonks Harry on James’ back and the stag grunts. Lily has to hold onto Harry because of his general wobbliness and incapability of sitting upright.
James walks around the garden at an even pace, while Lily walks along side of him, keeping hold of Harry so he doesn't fall off. It’s a very sweet moment, apart from Harry dribbling, but James thinks the wet is from rain water. After several minutes James begins to grow tired (and rather bored of circling the garden - it's not that big or exciting), and thankfully Harry has started to nod off and Lily sweeps him into her arms again. She watches as James changes back into a human.
“You make a marvellous donkey,” she tells him once he has ten fingers and ten toes again. “Fancy moving to Dorset and starting a riding business?”
James decides kissing her to death at that point is a good enough punishment for such a remark, but Lily pushes him away. “You have grass breath. Kindly bugger off.”
“Sorry,” he apologizes. Rather unattractively, he spits out some blades of grass that somehow got stuck in his teeth while he was Prongs.
“I think we should owl Remus later, by the way,” Lily mentions. She’s wearing a sly grin and James wonders if he stepped in something smelly on his walkabout of the garden.
“Why?” he answers dreadfully, jealousy getting the better of him. “Oh for God’s sake, I refuse him coming over and having to sit listening to you two talk about books for three hours again. I didn’t think literature orgasms were possible until I put you, Remus, and bloody Shakespeare in a room.”
“No,” Lily says, a little disturbed by books creating sexual climax, though anything was possible with that particular werewolf. “I want Remus to baby-sit Harry for us.”
“Why? What will we be doing?”
Lily has to laugh at his obliviousness. “I don’t know about you, but I will be rewarding you for a smile.” She raises her eyebrows suggestively.
After a pregnant pause, James’ eyes grow wide. “Oh!” He wants to brush his teeth. And do other things. Mainly involving Lily. And clean teeth. “I say we owl Remus now,” he says eagerly.
“Floo him, it’s quicker.”
They make the rather hurried journey back to the house.
“I love you,” he says for no particular reason.
“I know.”
“Actually, I was talking to Harry - but I rather love you too.”