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Growing Pains | ||||
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Category: Post-DH/AB Characters:None Genres: Fluff, Humor Warnings: None Rating: PG-13 Reviews: 4 Summary: *** The author has been reminded via the e-mail address on file that this story is listed as incomplete and has not been updated in over 2 years *** *** The author has been reminded via the e-mail address on file that this story is listed as incomplete and has not been updated in over 2 years *** It is the night before James' first day of Hogwarts. Harry worries about his son, while Ginny assures him that perhaps it is Hogwarts they should be worried about. Hitcount: Story Total: 3737 Disclaimer: Harry Potter Publishing Rights © J.K.R. Note the opinions in this story are my own and in no way represent the owners of this site. This story subject to copyright law under transformative use. No compensation is made for this work. Author's Notes: This is my first fanfic ever so please be kind. Reviews are definitely appreciated! |
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“3:32 AM, and still haven’t slept a wink”, Harry Potter thought to himself as he rolled onto his other side and slipped an arm around the waist of his sleeping wife. It was the night before his first son left for Hogwarts and a million questions, thoughts, and most of all, worries, clouded his mind. Would James get on all right so far from home? The longest he had ever been away was for a weekend at the Burrow, and even then he was under the watchful eye of Molly and Arthur. The Burrow was a second home to James, certainly nothing like the massive castle Harry knew so well from his many nights of wandering. What kind of trouble would James get himself into? He was far more mischievous than Harry had ever been. In fact, according to the many stories Harry had heard about his father, James Potter II would give his grandfather a run for his money. Harry smiled at the thought that his son’s years at Hogwarts would be full of youthful mischief rather than the dangerous adventures Harry had come to expect every year. But still, there were no guarantees, Hogwarts held so many mysteries and leave it up to his son to go off on his own and uncover a twelve-headed dragon, or something of the sort. Harry had come to only one conclusion. “Ginny, Ginny wake up”, Harry whispered as he gently shook his wife. “Mmmhm”, murmured his wife, still half asleep. “I’ve been thinking, and I don’t think James should go to Hogwarts. He gets into trouble so easily and there are far too many opportunities for him to do so there. I know he’ll be disappointed but it’s for his own good. Dumbledore himself never uncovered all the mysteries of Hogwarts, but leave it up to our son to discover the twelve headed lava breathing dragon in some hidden corridor”, Harry explained. “Bloody hell, Harry, is this why you woke me? Since when in the name of Merlin are you so bloody overprotective? Twelve-headed lava-breathing dragon? That’s rubbish, go back to sleep”, Ginny replied with all the patience she could muster. “That’s just it Ginny, I haven’t been to sleep yet. I can’t stop worrying about James.” “He’ll be fine, especially with McGonagall as the headmistress; James knows her well. And Neville is the new Herbology teacher and Hagrid promised he’d keep a close eye on James. Prisoners in Azkaban aren’t watched as closely as James will be”, reassured Ginny. “I suppose you're right. We’ll have to send him an owl everyday though to make sure he’s getting on okay”, Harry said sounding more confident. “Right, Gin? Gin? You still awake, Gin?” “HARRY JAMES POTTER GO TO SLEEP BEFORE I HEX YOU INTO TOMORROW AND SLEEP WILL NO LONGER BE AN ISSUE” Harry rolled onto his other side, apparently thrown off guard by his wife’s sudden outburst. He was not a stranger to her hexes, but he thought their conversation was going so well. Despite her anger, Harry decided he was glad he had woken Ginny up. She had assured him his son would be okay. After all, James was her son too, if she wasn’t worried why should he be? Just as he was drifting off to sleep Harry felt a cold hand on his shoulder and warm breath against his neck. “I’m sorry sweetheart, I didn’t mean to yell. You’re a good father for being so concerned. I’ve been rather worried myself, but he’s growing up. We have to let him, regardless of how frightening it may be.” Harry turned towards his wife and kissed her deeply, trying to convey how thankful he was for her words with his kiss. She responded in a way that Harry knew to mean “you’re welcome”. Gradually the kiss deepened and Harry couldn’t help but grin. “Just what is so funny about this, Mr. Potter?” Ginny asked, rather breathlessly. “Oh nothing, just thinking about all the sleep we’re not about to get tonight”, Harry replied as the two disappeared underneath the covers. _______________________________ ________________________________________ That Morning… That morning Harry was awoken by what seemed to be a large blob jumping on his bed and chanting “HOGWARTS, HOGWARTS, HOGGY, HOGGY, HOGWARTS! HOGWARTS TODAY! HOGWARTS TODAY!” As Harry reached for his glasses and placed them on his face the blob began to take the shape of his eldest son, who was now doing continuous belly flops onto the bed. Harry caught James’ legs and playfully wrestled him until Kreacher came upstairs to inform them breakfast would soon be ready. It had taken Harry and Ginny two years to convince Hermione that Kreacher’s help was necessary. It was not until she tasted Ginny’s cooking that Hermione agreed Kreacher was The Potters’ only chance at survival. He would be, of course, granted his freedom if he should ever desire it, but as Kreacher constantly reassured them, “It was an honor to serve the noble house of Potter”. “Finally breakfast! I’m starving, Dad. I’ve been up since five! I couldn’t sleep I was so excited!” James announced as he climbed onto his father’s shoulders. “That makes three of us”, Harry thought with a smirk as he made his way downstairs to the rest of his family. Albus, Lily, and Ginny were already at the table in a heated discussion about Kings Cross when the two entered. “Mum is it true we get to run THROUGH the wall at platform 9 ¾? And will we get to board the train with James? Just to see it? Please?” Albus asked his mother with wide eyes. “Yes it is true we get to run through, and no you will NOT be boarding the train with me, Al. I’m not a baby like you, I don’t need my mum walking me on”, James replied in the most mature tone he could muster. “Be nice James, or I’ll board the train with you and ride it straight through to Hogwarts! And if you still continue to insist you don’t need your mum I’ll set up a camp bed in your dormitory!” Ginny joked, although Harry knew she secretly wished it were possible. James rolled his eyes; he couldn’t believe how uncool his mum was. “Which house do you want to get sorted into, James?” Lily asked with a mouthful of toast. “Gryffindor, obviously, it’s the best. Everyone in our family has been in Gryffindor. I’m going to be in Gryffindor, I just know it,” James replied with all the certainty in the world. “What if you’re not though?” questioned Albus. “It isn’t an option. I guess Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw are okay. As long as I’m not in Slytherin, Dad hates Slytherins. Most of them are Dark wizards, I better not be a Slytherin, right Dad?” James turned toward his father who seemed to be trying his best to stay out of this conversation. Ginny and Hermione had already warned Harry and Ron against speaking ill of the Slytherins in front of the children. He knew Snape had turned out to be good in the end, but he just still couldn’t forget the many Slytherins who had aligned themselves with Voldemort and those who fled during the final battle. Slytherins definitely were not good, but he did not want to breed another generation divided by hate. “Er…Son, all Slytherins are not bad. Many of them are good, actually. Each house has special qualities that make it special. I’d like you to be a Gryffindor, but I wouldn’t love you any less if you weren’t”, Harry replied as he glanced at Ginny for her approval of his response. “That’s a load of rubbish, Dad! I hear you and Uncle Ron talking all the time about how…” James began, but Ginny cut him off. “Speaking of your Uncle Ron, he and Aunt Hermione were supposed to stop by with the kids before we left. You three better go upstairs and get dressed before they get here. Go on, now.” “Thanks, Gin. Sorry about that,” Harry said. “Ron and I will be more careful next time.” “There shouldn’t be a next time, Harry. The war is over, don’t start a new one. Go get dressed”, Ginny replied as she left the table. About a half hour later, Ron, Hermione, Rose, and Hugo stepped out of the Potter’s fireplace and into the sitting room. Although Rose and Hugo were still too young for Hogwarts, they too were swept up in the excitement of their cousin’s first year at the school they had heard so much about. The children ran off to see James’ new owl, Hercules, as the adults settled into the kitchen to drink the tea that Kreacher had prepared. “All right, mate? You look a bit pale. You’re not going to be sick are you?” Ron asked his friend. It was not like Ron to be very perceptive, but there was no mistaking it. Harry had gotten noticeably whiter since they had arrived. He may be “thick-headed” as his wife so often pointed out, but he certainly was not color-blind. “I’m fine, just a bit worried is all. They say the firstborn’s first year is the hardest”, Harry replied. “Honestly, Harry, you have no reason to worry everyone there will take good care of him. Hogwarts is, afterall, the safest place he could possibly be”, Hermione reassured him. “It’s not James I’m worried about! It's bloody Hogwarts! There’s no telling what kind of mayhem that son of ours will cause”, Ginny said. The four roared with laughter, reminiscing about all the trouble their children had gotten into over the years. The time James had given the babysitter antlers when he was just a toddler with no control over his magic. The time Hugo and Lily hung Crookshanks upside down from a tree in the Weasley’s yard. The time Rose had been caught smuggling chocolate frogs out of Honeydukes when she was only one years old. And no one could ever forget the time Al refused to wear clothes for an entire week when he was four. “Where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday they were all babies”, Hermione said, still out of breath from all the laughter. “Feels like yesterday we were kids, sometimes I can’t believe I have kids of my own and I’m not still a kid myself,” Harry replied. “I can assure you Harry, you act like a child quite enough”, Ginny retorted and Hermione nodded in agreement. “I don’t know what they’re talking about, mate. If you ask me, you’re grown up enough”, Ron assured Harry, who was feigning hurt feelings. “Better take that to heart, Harry. Ron is, after all, the authority on all things mature and grown up”, Hermione interjected. The four once again roared with laughter and continued with their lighthearted conversation until James came running in reminding them they had to be at platform 9 ¾ soon. James hugged his cousins and promised to send them owls telling them everything. When it was Ron’s turn to hug his nephew, Harry saw Ron slip him a box with WWW in orange lettering. “This is from me and Uncle George. Everything in this box is banned from Hogwarts, so I trust you to give Filch hell for us”, Ron whispered and winked at James. Harry pretended not to see and was grateful that Hermione and Ginny were still too deep in conversation to notice the exchange. Once Hermione had given James entirely too many kisses and reminded him keep on top of his studies, the Potters made their way to the fireplace. James took one last look around before stepping in and decided maybe he would miss this place after all. |
| Reviews 4 |
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