Fireplace Ashes
Dragging the thin blanket as he silently crawl over to the fireplace, little Harry James Potter tries to stay as quiet as a mouse, the wind is freezing and his little cupboard is providing any warmth, his tummy is also rumbling , his aunt and uncle didn't spare him some of the holiday feast after messing up the mash potatoes
The fireplace only has embers now, the fire already gone and the cold is also getting to it , but it's enough to offer some heat, Harry curled up close just a little bit to not get cinders on his face , his green eyes wide open as he look at the dimming embers
Can one wish on a Holiday?
He looks at the Christmas tree just by his feet, the amount of presents wrapped in pretty boxes and ribbons, all for Dudley
Harry knows he would not get pretty gifts, aunt Petunia is mad at him he isn't a good boy, and they said naughty boys don't get gifts, he looks at the star on the top of the tree
Hey Mr. Star, can I make a wish?
The boy was about close his eyes when he saw something shining just by the fireplace, it's a little blue and and white and like a star
Curious, he immediately stood up from where he was curled, blanket still around his shoulders,the object is still glowing, the fireplace already completely cooled and the wind blew a little colder, the boy inched closer and reached a hand, enchanted by the starlike glow, his finger touched the object and suddenly everything around Harry is all bright that his eyes hurt, he felt like someone is pulling on his arm and no matter how hard he try to get away he can't
All Harry can feel after that is landing on something warm …
—------------
James curled in front of the fireplace, his eyes trained on the dimming embers, he tried to not let it show much but the week had been getting into him
It has been a week since Sirius and Regulus stumbled in their fireplace, everything after that moved in fast pace but he can remember every single second of it
He will never forget the pleading cries of Regulus as he asks James to help Sirius, Sirius who's only half conscious, the several injuries on both brothers, the haunted look on Regulus' eyes as Effie and Fleamount work on Sirius' condition
It's been a week from that night and James can at least now feel slightly relieved , both brothers are safe in their care and he knows he would fight tooth and nail to keep it that way
Now sitting in front of the fireplace,James releases a deep breath that feels like he's been holding for a week and try to feel the slight chill in the breeze, it gave him the calmness that he needs and his head starts to clear a bit
He thinks of some fun things they can do for the remainder of the holidays, maybe some sledding, snowball fights, more baking and eggnogs ,he smiles to himself as he imagine the fun they hope they all have
His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed something shining between the now cooling coals, glowing blue and white,it flickers at first then the fluctuating light became a steady glow
James look at the object, it looks so inviting and sure enough he's reaching towards it,his finger then touches the light and the small steady glow grew brighter it starts to engulf him
The bright light is blinding yet James can clearly see a series of events, he can clearly hear the voices, It's like looking at a pensive
And James is there
He can see himself as he tearfully holds a baby boy, he can see himself as he smiles at the beautiful baby with emerald green eyes, the gummy smiles and the milky laughter that makes his chest ache and his heart soar
Then he sees himself, kissing the baby's head, and he went downstairs,he opens a door and the smile he has fell, his screams are inaudible and a flash of green hits him as he fell lifeless
It's a blur from there and now what he sees is a boy, spitting image of him with emerald green eyes and a scar on his forehead, the boy whimpers a pained cry as a hand drags him and shoves him inside a small cupboard under some stairs, James can hear the cries and he felt rage, and he sees himself running towards the cupboard, in his mind is the boy and his cries that James oh so want to sooth, he reaches the cupboard lock and throws the small door open
He reaches to take the boy in to his arms and a flash of very bright white and blue light blinds him
The sound of an explosion woke up the whole Potter Manor
Euphemia and Fleamount Potter immediately rushed to where the sound came from and to their horror , their living room is a mess of dust and some ashes and a few feet away from their fireplace is their son
"James!" Effie screamed as she ran towards her son, panic and worry in her every step, she stopped in her tracks as she gets a clearer view
Her son looked at her with wide red rimmed eyes , his glasses absent from his face, his shoulders shaking and his breathing labored and his arms protectively wrapped around a boy, no older than three or four
"Mum…Dad" James croaked
He can feel his vision swim and black spots starts to form, still he didn't let go of the little kid even when he felt the comforting hand of his mother and father
"It's okay…it's gonna be okay" James didn't know which of them said that but those are the words he hears as he closed his eyes
—-------
"Chamomile" Fleamount put a cup of tea in front of his wife
"Thanks Darling" Euphemia gave a small smile, and sighs as she felt the soothing fingers of her husband carding through her silvering hair
It eased the ache in her head and the worry in weighing in her chest, the week had been too long for all of them, she lets the small moment of silence to relax herself before she breaks it and tell her husband
"He's protecting the toddler, and Oh Monty I was checking the poor thing and he's so thin and his arms had bruises, Oh I've seen the same bruises on Sirius and Regulus before"
"Then we'll help the boy alright"
"Of course, of course"
The whole occurrence was so strange, how there was some sort of explosion and then James is protectively hugging a toddler
What's more strange is the boy himself, he looks so much like James when he's a toddler and that he's too thin and his arms and legs are littered with bruises
"C'mon mate , calm down first you're running yourself ragged" Sirius' voice came from upstairs
The couple didn't immediately ran upstairs to their son's room, Sirius has a hand on his shoulders both frantic
"James!"
Fleamount called his son who looked at him and Effie with a worried frown
"Dad, Mum, where's the little boy? Is he okay? "
"What little boy?" Sirius ask
"Don't worry sweetheart, he's fine, he's resting"
James looks at her then gives her a nod,he lets out a breath as he lays back ok his bed
"How are you feeling?" Effie asks
"a little peachy" it's a little silent then Sirius looks at them still quite confused and asks
"Uhmm… excuse me, I'm glad you're awake Prongs but, I want to ask what happened and what little boy?"
James looks at Sirius with pursed lips and by the look of his parents, they also want to know
"It's a long story, and the boy… apparently … is my Son"