The Kindergarten (Cue Ominous Music)
James doesn’t like lavender.
The smell of it wafts through the house, seeps through the wood, and the haze is almost visible in the air.
He’d say he hates it but then he’d be lying. He remembers red hair, pale skin, freckles. He thinks if his life ever had a smell, it would be lavender. Nowadays it follows him everywhere, he sees it in wool jumpers, he sees it in small hands, and he sees it in green eyes.
Harry Potter is a small three-year-old. His small hands hold painted wooden bricks, rubber toys, and the heart of one James Potter.
But today finds James sitting on a prim couch as his three-year-old prepares to go to preschool, the toddler wobbling around in his mother’s house. The aforementioned mother trails out from the kitchen with a lunchbox and a curved smile.
Lily Evans is as beautiful as the day her and James met, he thinks, it should be unfair how she ages like wine looking like the sun and moon. “James, help Harry find his owl! It’s probably under the sofa.” She places the lunchbox in Harry’s little baggie and goes straight to her room.
Shas as beautiful as the day they first kissed, the day they married, and as radiant as the day they fell out of love.
Knock knock. Wooden bricks fall on the carpeted floor due to Harry’s careless rushing around.
James wonders when he’ll realize his plushie is right behind his shoes. “Harry love, brush your teeth soon, I think I saw some spinach in there, we’re almost late! I’ll find Hedwig.”
His messy haired son squints at him. “But Hedwig was right here! I swear…”
“I’ll give him to you when you’re done brushing those dirty whites pup, go on now.”
Harry pouts and rushes to the bathroom, James might have to make sure he doesn’t just pretend to be brushing his teeth.
Walking over and bending over, James picks up the worn-out plush owl, it was a gift he got for his son on his second birthday, now a bit roughed up and dirty from all the activities Harry puts it through.
James arranges Harry’s shoes, and Harry walks out of the bathroom, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. James looks up to ensure Lily didn’t see before wiping the light toothpaste foam with a napkin, he smiles at his son and ruffles his hair.
Harry puts his shoes on quickly and sighs happily when James hands him Hedwig, his dimples showing. “Thanks dad!”
God, he was growing up so fast.
“Lily greet Pandora for me! Me and Harry are leaving!”
“Remember to remind the teacher about his allergies, and greet Sirius for me! Bye bye Harry!”
“Bye mom!”
-
James wishes preschools were built more like dark castles. He wishes they had spikes and crocodiles in moats and sharks outside of them. Because his fear of them is debilitating and worse, irrational. He spares a look at Harry going in his classroom and his heart twists in his chest like its threatening to choke him.
As he walks to the faculty room, James just wishes his sweaty palms would leave him be.
He peeks in and smiles at the nearest employee, a pretty dark-skinned lady with a curious look on her face. “Hi, is Mr. Black, Regulus Black here? I’m a parent of a kid in his class, just here to drop off some records.”
“Oh hi! I’m afraid Mr. Black isn’t here yet, give me a second and I’ll contact him for you.”
She taps something into her phone and politely smiles at him, walking further into the faculty room.
James lets out a sigh of relief and walks back out the hallway, holding the records folder to his chest.
The outside of the kindergarten may be all color and cheer, but god James swears the hallways are a maze, he’s almost gotten lost 3 times. How is any person supposed to differentiate between a primary lobby and a secondary lobby?
Maybe the crocodiles are inside the building.
And maybe it’s the thoughts of sharks and crocodiles hampering his train of thought, or maybe.
Maybe it’s the sudden view of luscious raven hair, and pretty pale skin, walking towards him, at the other end of the hall.
It feels suddenly as if someone set his body on fire, he’s staring at the stars and a supernova. He sees black locks of hair curling close to pasty skin. In this man’s eyes he remembers the color of the leaves of mistletoe. With the same romance and alluring poison.
And god, he hasn’t felt this way since he first saw Lily.
The man, maybe a year or so younger than him, with a stern set to his casual expression, spares him a curious look. “Excuse me, I need to get in the faculty room.”
Eyebrows still raised, James steps aside dumbly, adjusting his glasses, his eyes set on the pale expanse of neck above the black collar of the man as he enters the faculty room.
Not this again. James is so fucked.
The door opens slightly ajar again, and the lady from earlier peeks her head out. “Hello sir, you can come in now, Mr. Black just entered the faculty room.”
The smell of lavender and cigarettes curl around James like a vice. James clutches the folder of records like it might bite him.
-
Regulus stares a kid down from dancing on his desk. When the child scampers away shaking, Regulus has to pinch his forehead. He senses an oncoming migraine already.
His phone pings with a message notification and he opens his phone to look at the contact. Dorcas.
A parent from ur class is here, wants 2 give u his kids records apparently
It’s followed up by another message.
Dilf
Regulus squints. You have a girlfriend Dorcas.
Still. I’d tap that
“Good morning kids, we’ll do our greetings and introductions later, Mr. Black has something to do. Stay in your seats and don’t make too much noise.”
With a soft smile he pats the head of a scampering child, and leaves the classroom with a handful of files in a folder.
Walking down to the nearest vending machine, Regulus grabs himself a bottle of black coffee, it tastes like lead on his tongue, but he tries to quickly down the drink.
His phone is buzzing, the melody of The Pina Colada Song drifting through the empty hallway.
If you like piña coladas and gettin' caught in the rain-
Regulus fumbles to answer, not wanting anyone to hear the ringtone Sirius set for himself. “Sirius?”
“Reggie get this, James arrived at the kindergarten already, Lily called to tell me.” Regulus ignores the pit of uneasiness in his stomach.
“Yeah, I know, I saw his kid in my class.”
“He’s in your class?! My god, I wanted him in my class.”
“Sounds like your problem.”
“Don’t be a prick, and file me an absence notice while you’re at it.”
“...What?”
“Teddy’s sick today, I couldn’t leave him home alone.” He’s definitely pouting, Regulus peers into his coffee bottle.
“Where’s Lupin? Can’t he take care of Teddy?”
“Can’t, there was apparently an incident at work he had to take care of.”
“What was it about?”
“Well now you’re being a gossip Reggie, I don’t even know. Just file that notice for me, I’ll owe you a favor.” Regulus finishes his drink, his tongue feeling like sandpaper in his mouth.
“Sure.” Sirius snickers behind his hand, and Regulus hangs up on him.
Passing by another hall, Regulus takes off the tape that says “skate” off the boardroom sign, he recognizes Sirius’ handwriting anywhere, and throws away the trash in the nearest garbage can.
Approaching the main faculty room, he spots a messy head of hair and rosy dark skin by the entrance.
That’s James Potter.
He’d know those glasses anywhere. It’s a pair Sirius bought for Christmas after consulting Regulus. At the time he never knew who it was being bought for, and over time he has had his suspicions.
Regulus eyes the tousled head of hair and the one errant strand that falls into Potter’s eyes that Regulus irrationally kind of wants to touch, move away. He absently wonders if the parent with the records is in the faculty room.
Potter rights his glasses and Regulus’ eyes can’t help but be drawn to his hands. He looks away before the man notices.
“Excuse me, I need to get in the faculty room.”
Potter makes way, eyebrows raised, it puzzles Regulus.
He enters the faculty room with a click, and Dorcas raises one eyebrow at him. “Dorcas. Where’s the parent?”
His best friend rolls her eyes at him, she walks past him and peers out into the hallway.
“Hello sir, you can come in now, Mr. Black just entered the faculty room.”
Absently, Regulus remembers Potter was holding a folder with him.