rip james potter you would have loved your son's wife
James couldn’t believe how fast time flew away from them. One day he was tending to Harry’s quidditch wounds and giving Ginny her first broom for her 12th birthday, and the next he was shifting nervously from one foot to another, giving a short speech on their wedding day. He didn’t know it was possible to feel both old and elated in one sitting.
“Go on dad,” said Harry, clapping his father on the back, “You’ll be fine.”
Harry stood beside him, and James could only stare proudly at the son he and Lily raised. He was exactly his clone, and no one could ever question whether or not he was their son, with his signature messy, black hair, bad vision, and almond shaped, emerald eyes.
“This is bonkers,” James cried, clutching his wand on one hand and a crumpled piece of parchment on the other, “Why, perchance, did I agree to do this??”
Ginny shrugged, sipping her sparkling champagne that twinkled as brightly as her eyes, “You know us best. That and you’d hold it against us forever if we chose someone else.”
His eyes shifted to the red-head whose shoulders were engulfed by his son’s arm. Her simple, silk white dress flowed around her, much like her flaming hair that he could have sworn was in a bun a few minutes ago. Ginny was flushed and radiant, and he suddenly felt his eyes water looking at her, with her head laying gently on Harry’s shoulder. These were his children.
James wiped his palms on his black, sleek robes, adjusting the glasses on his nose. “Fine,” he bit out, turning around to face the crowd.
He cleared his throat, “ Sonorous .”
Every single member of the crowd shifted their attention to him, and James suddenly felt even more nervous. Lily caught his eye and she smiled. Unbidden, a memory emerged from his mind of a time nearly twenty four years ago, where he once stood in the place of his son, with Lily by his side.
“Hello,” he mumbled, “I’m heard yes?”
Murmurs of confirmation spread throughout the room.
“So I’m the father of the groom,” he introduced, and glared at Sirius who began laughing. Remus, who sat to his left, elbowed him, his own grin uncontained.
“As if that wasn't obvious,” Ron snickered, pointing out Harry and his father to a fellow auror he was chatting with from a table adjacent to his.
“Kingsley once stormed into the Head Auror’s office yelling stuff at Mr. Potter only for it to be Harry,” Seamus added, guaffing along with the rest of their fellow workmates.
“Yes well,” James said loudly, his adam's apple bobbing, “Some would regard me as the bride’s second father as well.”
He shifted his eyes to look at his now daughter-in-law again, who stood snug at his son’s side. Ginny shot him a tender smile, and he felt compelled to continue. She was his little girl, married to his son or not.
“She was a wee little thing the first time Lily and I met her,” he sniffed, his eyes watering, “Look at me, I’m a mess!”
Lily shuffled over along with Arthur and Molly, standing beside him. He felt his wife slide her hand in his.
“I’ve always thought meeting your soulmate on September first, of your first year, was a Potter family trait,” he looked down lovingly at his wife, and then at his children , a mirror to the past, “It seems my son was no stranger to such tradition.
The crowd aw-ed, and Molly dabbed at her eyelids. He continued, “Ginny tapped me on the hip, and mind you she was only around this small,” he gestured vaguely to the space around his thigh, and everyone laughed, no one louder than the Weasley brothers. She shot her middle finger at them, while Harry kissed the top of her head, smiling into her hair.
“The cutest,” Harry sighed, again kissing her temple.
“She told me she’s seen my photo in Charlie’s quidditch book, which was the strategy storage passed from one captain to another,” James raised the hand holding the parchment at Charlie who gave him a mock salute back, “Asked me if I played chaser because she really wanted to be one too, but her brothers never let her play.”
Ginny’s teammates from the Holyhead Harpies all boo-ed collectively at the Weasley brothers’ table, which was conveniently right in front of theirs.
“And by that time I knew I had lost Harry to seeking,” he looked at his son pointedly, who stuck his tongue back at him, “Who was I to say no to a potential protégé?”
“The next struggle was getting Arthur and Molly to agree.”
The guests all laughed once more, and James shook his head, “But I’m so thankful they did, this wedding only makes it official, but that day on September first 1991, our family of three became a family of ten.”
“To Harry and Ginny,” he choked, “I have never met two others who were as passionate and loving individuals as you two, who were made for one another. I watched not only your love story grow, but yourselves as people too. You’ve been through more than you should have, and yet you’re both still here. Keep each other sane, keep each other in check. Ginny sweetheart, I’m leaving you liable for Harry now. I love you both so much.”
“To Harry and Ginny,” Sirius cheered, lifting his glass of firewhiskey in the air.
“To Harry and Ginny,” their guests echoed.
Lily lifted herself on her tiptoes to kiss James’ cheek, giving Molly and Arthur brief hugs as well.
“To our babies,” Lily murmured happily, hand grasping James’ hand once more, and her other giving Molly’s a light squeeze.
Ginny shuffled over and launched herself at James, hugging him tight. On her other side, Harry allowed himself to be smothered by Molly herself.
“I’m so—,” James coughed, which suspiciously sounded like a sob, “So incredibly happy right now.”
“Thank you for everything,” Ginny mumbled into her father in law’s chest, “I owe this,” she gestured vaguely in the distance to her quidditch team, “and this,” then at Harry, “to you.”
She detached herself to wiggle her way into Lily’s waiting arms, “To the both of you.”
“Thank you for treating me like family,” she said into Lily’s hair, “Harry or not, I would have continued to love you both anyway.”
Lily snorted, watching her son furiously rub his eyes under his glasses while being pulled into a similar hug by Arthur Weasley, “Like there was any chance of you two not ending up with each other.”
Arthur laughed heartily, “Oh yes, she made me play officiator for her fake weddings with Harry Potter when she was little,” he frowned, “Although I’m a bit upset I had to put up with all that practice just to not be the one to actually do it.”
“Dad,” Ginny groaned, leaning back into Harry who’d reappeared behind her, his hand around her waist.
“Love you,” whispered Harry to the back of her head, and James saw the brightest smile he'd ever seen grace Ginny’s face.
James Potter felt like he could cast the world’s largest patronus right now, or pass out from happiness, whichever, it didn’t matter. He was sure he’d never felt more joy in his life, and it wasn’t even his wedding!