(no subject)
Title: Splendid synchronicity
Author: apostrophe_ess
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JKR, I merely gain from playing these games in her playground.
Pairing/Character: Lily/James, Harry, Sirius
Word Count: 763
Rating: G
Prompt: For potterverse100, number 92 - Diagon Alley. Prompt table here. Chronological list here.
Summary: Harry is four weeks, three days, twelve hours and seventeen minutes old, and James and Sirius decide that Lily should go out to lunch.
Author's notes: For everyone I've owed comments to for the last few days - many apologies. The irony of the pause coming as I was congratulated on my diligence to answering comments has not passed me by!
Splendid synchronicity
Diagon Alley was, they’d decided, the only place they could visit safely - or as safely as it was possible to visit anywhere anymore.
“You go, Lil,” James insisted.
“But -“
“We’ll be fine. What could possibly go wrong? Three boys together.”
Lily stood in the small sitting room and looked about her. James and Sirius were sitting on the sofa, looking proud and pleased, even though she was quite sure the air they’d chose to promote was casual and confident.
“If you’re sure …”
“Lily, we’ll be fine,” Sirius assured her, his hand flying to pat the pram next to his side of the sofa where she normally sat.
“Well I’ve fed him, so he should be okay for a couple of hours and he’s got a clean nappy and he’s sleeping soundly,” Lily ticked off on her fingers. “But -“
“But,” James cut her off with a grin, “if he does wake up hungry then there’s milk under a cooling charm in the kitchen, and the instructions to warm it are next to it. The nappies are in the bedroom, and he likes to be rocked to get him to sleep.”
“Yes-“
“But only if he’s crying. If he’s not crying then he’ll go straight down with no trouble.”
Lily smiled. “Am I making a big fuss?”
“Yes!” Sirius suggested to her playfully. “And after all, if all else fails Uncle Padfoot can do tricks - he’s bound to like that. And don’t forget that Uncle Padfoot has a very good line in soothing babies by licking their faces and curling up next to them to help them sleep.”
It was hard not to laugh at Lily’s shocked face.
“Go,” James said. “He’s winding you up.”
“And you’ll send for me if-“
“Lily!” James stood from the sofa and moved to hug his wife. “He’s a small baby. What could possibly happen that two grown men - one his father, and the other … Okay, let’s forget the other,” he grinned and kissed her.
“Okay. Okay. I’m off. I’ll see you both later.” With a crack Lily was gone for the very first time since Harry had been born, alone in Diagon Alley.
“Well, Prongs,” Sirius was rocking the pram just a little bit harder than he had been when Lily was there.
“Are you wanting to wake him up?” James asked, amused.
“Well just long enough to hold him for a minute or two. Not so he’ll cry or anything.”
Harry James Potter, aged four weeks, three days, twelve hours and seventeen minutes opened an eye, closed it again, opened it once more, sighed, curled his legs up and with a grunt relaxed back into sleep.
“What was that?” Sirius asked.
“What mate?”
“The baby. Harry. What did he do?”
“I don’t know, what did he do?”
“He looked at me.”
“Yeah?”
“And made a noise.”
“Yeah?”
“And how can you bear that?”
“What?”
“He’s …” Sirius nodded towards Harry and made a face before holding his nose.
“He’s what Pads?”
“He’s done something, I think. In his nappy.”
“Ah! Why didn’t you say. You wanted to hold him. Pick him up and I’ll get the stuff so you can change him.” James watched with interest as his best friend, Harry’s designated godfather, held the tiny boy in his arms and attempted to remove his clothes. “You’re going to have to hurry mate. Babies get sore with all that next to their skin. Lil’ll have your guts for garters if that happens.”
What with the smell, worrying about the little floppy limbs that didn’t help him, and the crying that had started the moment Sirius started undressing Harry, he had the start of a headache by the time he’d actually changed the nappy. “How’s that?”
“Not bad considering it took you just over three quarters of an hour.”
“I’m knackered.”
“Here, have a butterbeer,” James suggested taking his son onto his shoulder and walking up and down with him while his sobs subsided.
“Everything okay?” Lily asked brightly when she Apparated back into the living room. Harry was asleep, in exactly the same position he’d been when she went out. James and Sirius were sitting in the same places on the sofa a few empty bottles around their feet, as the gentle sounds of sleep escaped their mouths in splendid synchronicity.
“Perfect,” she congratulated the room as she sat into the chair with a self-satisfied sigh. “Why did I worry? Maybe I will make visiting Dorcas for lunch a weekly thing.” Fondly, she smiled. How like James to answer her suggestion with a snore.
Author: apostrophe_ess
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to JKR, I merely gain from playing these games in her playground.
Pairing/Character: Lily/James, Harry, Sirius
Word Count: 763
Rating: G
Prompt: For potterverse100, number 92 - Diagon Alley. Prompt table here. Chronological list here.
Summary: Harry is four weeks, three days, twelve hours and seventeen minutes old, and James and Sirius decide that Lily should go out to lunch.
Author's notes: For everyone I've owed comments to for the last few days - many apologies. The irony of the pause coming as I was congratulated on my diligence to answering comments has not passed me by!
Splendid synchronicity
Diagon Alley was, they’d decided, the only place they could visit safely - or as safely as it was possible to visit anywhere anymore.
“You go, Lil,” James insisted.
“But -“
“We’ll be fine. What could possibly go wrong? Three boys together.”
Lily stood in the small sitting room and looked about her. James and Sirius were sitting on the sofa, looking proud and pleased, even though she was quite sure the air they’d chose to promote was casual and confident.
“If you’re sure …”
“Lily, we’ll be fine,” Sirius assured her, his hand flying to pat the pram next to his side of the sofa where she normally sat.
“Well I’ve fed him, so he should be okay for a couple of hours and he’s got a clean nappy and he’s sleeping soundly,” Lily ticked off on her fingers. “But -“
“But,” James cut her off with a grin, “if he does wake up hungry then there’s milk under a cooling charm in the kitchen, and the instructions to warm it are next to it. The nappies are in the bedroom, and he likes to be rocked to get him to sleep.”
“Yes-“
“But only if he’s crying. If he’s not crying then he’ll go straight down with no trouble.”
Lily smiled. “Am I making a big fuss?”
“Yes!” Sirius suggested to her playfully. “And after all, if all else fails Uncle Padfoot can do tricks - he’s bound to like that. And don’t forget that Uncle Padfoot has a very good line in soothing babies by licking their faces and curling up next to them to help them sleep.”
It was hard not to laugh at Lily’s shocked face.
“Go,” James said. “He’s winding you up.”
“And you’ll send for me if-“
“Lily!” James stood from the sofa and moved to hug his wife. “He’s a small baby. What could possibly happen that two grown men - one his father, and the other … Okay, let’s forget the other,” he grinned and kissed her.
“Okay. Okay. I’m off. I’ll see you both later.” With a crack Lily was gone for the very first time since Harry had been born, alone in Diagon Alley.
“Well, Prongs,” Sirius was rocking the pram just a little bit harder than he had been when Lily was there.
“Are you wanting to wake him up?” James asked, amused.
“Well just long enough to hold him for a minute or two. Not so he’ll cry or anything.”
Harry James Potter, aged four weeks, three days, twelve hours and seventeen minutes opened an eye, closed it again, opened it once more, sighed, curled his legs up and with a grunt relaxed back into sleep.
“What was that?” Sirius asked.
“What mate?”
“The baby. Harry. What did he do?”
“I don’t know, what did he do?”
“He looked at me.”
“Yeah?”
“And made a noise.”
“Yeah?”
“And how can you bear that?”
“What?”
“He’s …” Sirius nodded towards Harry and made a face before holding his nose.
“He’s what Pads?”
“He’s done something, I think. In his nappy.”
“Ah! Why didn’t you say. You wanted to hold him. Pick him up and I’ll get the stuff so you can change him.” James watched with interest as his best friend, Harry’s designated godfather, held the tiny boy in his arms and attempted to remove his clothes. “You’re going to have to hurry mate. Babies get sore with all that next to their skin. Lil’ll have your guts for garters if that happens.”
What with the smell, worrying about the little floppy limbs that didn’t help him, and the crying that had started the moment Sirius started undressing Harry, he had the start of a headache by the time he’d actually changed the nappy. “How’s that?”
“Not bad considering it took you just over three quarters of an hour.”
“I’m knackered.”
“Here, have a butterbeer,” James suggested taking his son onto his shoulder and walking up and down with him while his sobs subsided.
“Everything okay?” Lily asked brightly when she Apparated back into the living room. Harry was asleep, in exactly the same position he’d been when she went out. James and Sirius were sitting in the same places on the sofa a few empty bottles around their feet, as the gentle sounds of sleep escaped their mouths in splendid synchronicity.
“Perfect,” she congratulated the room as she sat into the chair with a self-satisfied sigh. “Why did I worry? Maybe I will make visiting Dorcas for lunch a weekly thing.” Fondly, she smiled. How like James to answer her suggestion with a snore.