Part I
He put on his red Converse, his coat, and James was ready to go.
Like every Thursday, he was going to pick up Harry from school and they would go to the park together, where Lily would join them. He was looking forward to seeing his son. Since the separation from Lily, finding a stable rhythm with Harry had been quite complicated. Harry was only 6 years old, and shared custody was a concept he did not want to accept. Today was a rather important day; James had a meeting with Lily and Harry with his teacher to review his progress since starting first grade.
James had always been very proud of his son, but following the recent separation, he feared it would affect Harry's education. On the way to school, his phone vibrated, and he received a message from his ex-partner: "Hi! I have an emergency at work, I won’t make it in time. I'm sorry... Kiss Harry for me." James, not wanting to start yet another argument, responded cordially and continued on his way.
Arriving at the school gate, he spotted Harry, who ran towards him and jumped into his arms. "Hi Dad!" This simple phrase erased all of James' worries. "Hello my boy! Did you have a good day?" Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Professor Reg has lots of drawings to show you, you'll see!" He grabbed James' coat sleeve and pulled him inside the school. James was always amazed by the physical strength a little kid could have. Harry paused before asking, "Where's Mom?" This question pinched James' heart. He knew these moments were inevitable, but they were always hard to handle. "It seems she had an emergency at work, my love. But we will join her later, I promise," he replied softly, stroking Harry's hair to reassure him. Harry seemed to accept the answer, though a hint of disappointment was visible in his eyes. "Come on, let's go see what you've done in class!" James encouraged him to move forward.
Harry ran to his classroom, dragging James, who couldn't stop smiling as he watched his son proudly show off his work. The young boy stopped in front of the coat hooks. "Look, Dad, this one's mine! See?" James looked at the hook with his son's name above it. "He wrote the H himself." James turned to see who had spoken. Regulus, the young first-grade teacher, was leaning against the doorway, holding a steaming cup of tea and a folder full of drawings under his arm. Harry ran to him. "Dad, see, this is Professor Reg." James approached, amused by his son's enthusiasm. The two men shook hands, and Reg invited them into the classroom.
Inside, James admired the warm and colorful atmosphere of the classroom. The walls were covered with educational posters and children's drawings. Shelves filled with books and teaching materials occupied a corner of the room. Harry proudly showed his father his desk and the various notebooks he worked in. It was evident he felt at home here. Regulus invited them to sit around a small round table. "Should we wait for Mrs. Potter?" James, struggling to sit on the child-sized chair, took a moment to respond. "No, Harry's mom couldn't make it." Regulus smiled, seeing James on the tiny chair that seemed even smaller once he sat down. "No problem. I apologize for the chairs, but it’s important for me that we are at their level, especially at this age." James nodded, though he wouldn’t have minded full-sized furniture. He felt silly, especially seeing Regulus perfectly at ease.
After carefully looking at Harry's drawings and his progress in writing, he saw his son get up to open a drawer filled with toys.
"I wanted to discuss something with you, Mr. Potter." "Oh my God, call me James." Regulus smiled. "Alright, James. We've noticed that Harry often has nightmares during nap times. Does that sound familiar?" James started fidgeting with his hands. "Yes, since the divorce… he sometimes has them." Regulus slightly tilted his head, showing he understood. "Family transitions can be tough for children." James nodded, grateful for Regulus' understanding. "I've also noticed that Harry sometimes struggles to express his emotions." James felt guilty, hating the idea of being a burden in his son's life. Regulus placed a reassuring hand on James' arm. "That's normal. Children can have a hard time understanding and expressing what they feel in such situations. But we are here to help Harry through this." James smiled, thankful for Regulus' attention to Harry.
After discussing strategies to help Harry, Regulus escorted them to the exit. The teacher crouched to be at Harry's level. "You should be proud of yourself. Your dad certainly is." He gently ruffled Harry's hair and stood up. "If you have any questions, feel free to come see me, James. You don't have to worry, Harry has a great dad." "Yes, he's the best!" added Harry. James smiled and shook Reg's hand. "Thanks for your advice. See you soon." James and Harry left the school, hand in hand. After dropping his son off at Lily's, James headed to a café.
He knocked on the café door, and Remus opened it. James greeted his friend and sat at the nearest table. "I'll finish tidying up and be with you in 5 minutes" Remus said. James nodded and took out his phone. He opened a message from Lily, who had sent him a photo of Harry drawing. James smiled at his son's concentrated face. Remus eventually sat across from him, and James showed him the photo. "He's going to be an artist, that kid." James smiled at the remark.
"Lily didn't come today… To the meeting with Harry's teacher, I mean." Remus raised an eyebrow, immediately understanding the implication. "Oh, I see. How did the meeting go?" James shrugged. "Good, except even his teacher noticed the nightmares… I wish she had been there so we could find a solution together. I know she's doing her best, but sometimes it's frustrating." Remus took his friend's hand and looked him in the eye. "James, will you stop with that? I've known Lily for ages now, and she does much more than her best for Harry. It's been a year now, you can't keep holding it against her, especially when she hasn't done anything wrong." He took a slight breath, aware that what he was about to say wouldn't please James. "In the months leading up the divorce, you left her alone, and she no longer holds it against you. You need to move on; the time for grudges is long past."
James felt a twinge of annoyance at Remus' words, but he knew his friend was right. He lowered his eyes for a moment, thinking about what he had just heard. Then, he looked up at Remus with a resigned sigh. "You're right, Remus. I've been unfair to Lily, and I know it," he finally admitted.
After that, James helped Remus close the café, and they walked together to Remus' apartment. Entering the apartment, James immediately felt a welcoming atmosphere. Sirius, who was hanging laundry, stopped everything to hug his husband. Remus kissed him tenderly. "You took your time, Moony," said Sirius. "I know, my love. James and I were talking at the café," Remus replied. "Oh, you're here too, I didn't see you." "Very funny. It's not like you make that joke every time." Sirius rolled his eyes and approached his friend, trying to tickle him. Watching these two fools go through their usual routine, Remus left them and headed to the kitchen.
After sharing a meal together, the three friends sat in the living room, chatting over a cup of tea. "Siri, I wonder if you happen to know a Regulus Black?" James asked. Sirius shrugged. "Regulus, no, that doesn't ring a bell. Maybe a distant cousin, why?" James thought for a moment. "He's Harry's teacher." Sirius seemed to think for a moment, then shook his head. "Sorry, James, that doesn't really ring a bell. But with the Black family being so vast, it's possible we've never crossed paths." Remus spoke up, "What does this teacher look like, Prongs?"