Bringing in the New Year [James/Teddy - PG - 1028 + ART]
Title: Bringing in the New Year
Author/Artist: shiftylinguini
Pairing(s): James Sirius/Teddy, Harry/Ginny
Prompt: Number 16 - James is determined to be Teddy's New Year's kiss.
Word Count: 1028
Art Medium: Pencil/digital
Rating: PG
Contains: first kiss, romance, humor
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: This is based on the tradition of kissing someone at the end of the New Year’s Eve countdown. There’s also an old saying that whatever you’re doing on New Year’s Eve will set the tone for the rest of the year - so James is pretty keen to have his year involve Teddy, and snogging (oblivious fathers optional). Thanks to C for the speedy beta brilliance!
Summary: Harry is tipsy, Ginny is wise, Teddy is having revelations, and James is not letting anything stop him from getting his kiss. Now, go away Harry!
December 31st, 11:39 pm.
“Teddy! James! Here you are. Having a good night?” Harry clapped both boys on the back, a hand on each shoulder. He was slightly worse for wear, having been drinking Bill’s homemade mead all evening.
Harry was in a great mood. He loved New Year’s Eve. He loved the party he and Ginny threw for their family and friends every year. He loved mead.
James and Teddy both jumped, startled out of whatever they had been engrossed in discussing.
Harry took them in; James was a bit pink-cheeked and flustered, and Teddy was…well, Teddy was Teddy. Broad, and smiling, and nursing a glass of mead of his own. They were standing by the fireplace. James had been animatedly telling Teddy something, a quidditch story perhaps, Harry guessed, while Teddy just watched him affectionately, nodding his head every now and again.
Harry loved his boys. It warmed his heart that they got on so well.
“Um. Yeah dad, pretty good night. Yourself?” James shrugged Harry’s hand off his shoulder, and looked apologetically at Teddy, who winked in response. He turned and grinned at Harry. “’Lo, Uncle Harry. You seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“Oh, I am, I am. Best night of the year!” Harry beamed. “Now, young Master Lupin - can I borrow you for a moment? It’s nearly time for the midnight toast, and Ginny needs someone to help with the -“
“No, Teddy needs to stay here!” James exclaimed loudly. Harry stepped back slightly, his glasses falling down his nose. He pushed them back up, and looked at his son.
“Erm. He does?”
"I do?" Teddy frowned slightly, as he smiled in confusion at James.
“Yes! He needs to... um… help me. With something. We were in the middle of something!” James stammered out in a rush. He frowned at his feet, his face as red as Luna’s radish earrings. “He needs to be here for the midnight toast,” he finished in a quiet voice.
Harry looked at Teddy, who shrugged as though this was all news to him.
“Err. Right. Well then… If it’s important- “
“It is!” James blurted. He bit his lip, and looked at anything but Harry or Teddy, who had turned away, deep in thought. Harry looked between the two of them, utterly lost.
“Err…”
“Harry! Can you come in here and help with the drinks! Toasts are in 15!” Ginny’s voice sailed out of the kitchen, and Harry gratefully called back.
“Yeah, one second, Gin!” He turned back to the boys. “Um right, ok, well… I’ll just go and help your mother. With the drinks. While Teddy stays here, and helps you with…this important thing.” Harry nodded, taking a step backwards.
“Thanks, dad,” James breathed out gratefully.
He looked at Harry expectantly, then made a shooing motion with his hand. “Well, don’t let us keep you,” he said impatiently.
Harry blinked. James looked relieved, and excited, and like Harry couldn’t bugger off fast enough. Teddy was still looking off into the middle distance, but his eyes were now wide, his eyebrows raised and a faint smile on his face. He looked like he’d just figured something out.
Harry felt, not for the first time, that he’d missed something important. And that everyone around him was mad.
***
“Bloody hell.” Harry walked into the kitchen.
“What now?” Ginny looked up from the trays of champagne glasses. “No luck with the recruits?” She had spelled three bottles to fill glasses around her, and was pouring a fourth by hand. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun, escaping strands making a halo around her face. Harry watched her fondly, then sighed.
“No luck at all, m’fraid.” Harry looked thoughtful. “James is being especially odd.”
Ginny hummed. “Often is, that one.” She looked up from the glasses. “Let me guess - he and Teddy are thick as thieves and cannot be prised apart, not even in the pursuit of alcohol.”
“Something like that.” Harry frowned suspiciously. “How did you know?
Ginny snorted. “They haven’t left each other’s side all night. Rather hard to miss.” Ginny smiled to herself. “He’s got it pretty bad, does our Jamie.”
Harry frowned. “Got what?”
Ginny looked at him like he was an idiot. “Teddy. He has a crush on him. Merlin, you are even less observant than Ron.” She shook her head.
“He… James?! Has a crush on…Teddy?! Our Ted? When did that happen?” Harry stared incredulously, mentally running the last 19 years through his head and coming up blank.
Ginny chuckled and continued pouring. “Oh, probably when he was about 12.”
Harry scratched his head. “But he’s…” He looked at the roof. “And Teddy is…” He flapped one hand about, as though trying draw Ginny a picture in the air of what he was failing to articulate. “They’re…” He held both hands out, moved them in a circle, then dropped them to his side with a pained wheeze. He was too drunk for this.
“Young? Attached at the hip? In love?” Ginny smiled warmly. “Oh, leave them be. It’s sweet. You can have a crisis about it later.”
Ginny patted him fondly on the cheek, and he smiled back. “Alright, fine,” he sighed. “I concede to your superior knowledge of all things related to our children and their wellbeing.”
“As you should.” Ginny began pouring again. “And you never know, you might get lucky yourself tonight.” Ginny winked at him.
“Oh is Fleur coming?” Harry feigned surprise. “I thought she was in France with her fam -ow!” Ginny threw a cork at his head. It bounced off and plopped into a full glass, which fizzed over.
“Idiot. That one’s yours. Come on, help me carry this lot in. And do us all a favour? Leave James to it, would you. I think he’s been building up the courage to do this for a while now.” She smiled. “And I can’t handle those two making soppy eyes at each other over Sunday lunch for another year.” She kissed him on the cheek.
Harry followed his wife back into the packed dining room, handing out glasses to the guests as he went. He felt curiously at ease with this development. Stranger things have happened in my life, he thought, as the countdown began.
Harry raised his glass.
3,
2,
1,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
[CLICK FOR FULL SIZE]
Author/Artist: shiftylinguini
Pairing(s): James Sirius/Teddy, Harry/Ginny
Prompt: Number 16 - James is determined to be Teddy's New Year's kiss.
Word Count: 1028
Art Medium: Pencil/digital
Rating: PG
Contains: first kiss, romance, humor
Disclaimer: Harry Potter characters are the property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: This is based on the tradition of kissing someone at the end of the New Year’s Eve countdown. There’s also an old saying that whatever you’re doing on New Year’s Eve will set the tone for the rest of the year - so James is pretty keen to have his year involve Teddy, and snogging (oblivious fathers optional). Thanks to C for the speedy beta brilliance!
Summary: Harry is tipsy, Ginny is wise, Teddy is having revelations, and James is not letting anything stop him from getting his kiss. Now, go away Harry!
December 31st, 11:39 pm.
“Teddy! James! Here you are. Having a good night?” Harry clapped both boys on the back, a hand on each shoulder. He was slightly worse for wear, having been drinking Bill’s homemade mead all evening.
Harry was in a great mood. He loved New Year’s Eve. He loved the party he and Ginny threw for their family and friends every year. He loved mead.
James and Teddy both jumped, startled out of whatever they had been engrossed in discussing.
Harry took them in; James was a bit pink-cheeked and flustered, and Teddy was…well, Teddy was Teddy. Broad, and smiling, and nursing a glass of mead of his own. They were standing by the fireplace. James had been animatedly telling Teddy something, a quidditch story perhaps, Harry guessed, while Teddy just watched him affectionately, nodding his head every now and again.
Harry loved his boys. It warmed his heart that they got on so well.
“Um. Yeah dad, pretty good night. Yourself?” James shrugged Harry’s hand off his shoulder, and looked apologetically at Teddy, who winked in response. He turned and grinned at Harry. “’Lo, Uncle Harry. You seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“Oh, I am, I am. Best night of the year!” Harry beamed. “Now, young Master Lupin - can I borrow you for a moment? It’s nearly time for the midnight toast, and Ginny needs someone to help with the -“
“No, Teddy needs to stay here!” James exclaimed loudly. Harry stepped back slightly, his glasses falling down his nose. He pushed them back up, and looked at his son.
“Erm. He does?”
"I do?" Teddy frowned slightly, as he smiled in confusion at James.
“Yes! He needs to... um… help me. With something. We were in the middle of something!” James stammered out in a rush. He frowned at his feet, his face as red as Luna’s radish earrings. “He needs to be here for the midnight toast,” he finished in a quiet voice.
Harry looked at Teddy, who shrugged as though this was all news to him.
“Err. Right. Well then… If it’s important- “
“It is!” James blurted. He bit his lip, and looked at anything but Harry or Teddy, who had turned away, deep in thought. Harry looked between the two of them, utterly lost.
“Err…”
“Harry! Can you come in here and help with the drinks! Toasts are in 15!” Ginny’s voice sailed out of the kitchen, and Harry gratefully called back.
“Yeah, one second, Gin!” He turned back to the boys. “Um right, ok, well… I’ll just go and help your mother. With the drinks. While Teddy stays here, and helps you with…this important thing.” Harry nodded, taking a step backwards.
“Thanks, dad,” James breathed out gratefully.
He looked at Harry expectantly, then made a shooing motion with his hand. “Well, don’t let us keep you,” he said impatiently.
Harry blinked. James looked relieved, and excited, and like Harry couldn’t bugger off fast enough. Teddy was still looking off into the middle distance, but his eyes were now wide, his eyebrows raised and a faint smile on his face. He looked like he’d just figured something out.
Harry felt, not for the first time, that he’d missed something important. And that everyone around him was mad.
***
“Bloody hell.” Harry walked into the kitchen.
“What now?” Ginny looked up from the trays of champagne glasses. “No luck with the recruits?” She had spelled three bottles to fill glasses around her, and was pouring a fourth by hand. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun, escaping strands making a halo around her face. Harry watched her fondly, then sighed.
“No luck at all, m’fraid.” Harry looked thoughtful. “James is being especially odd.”
Ginny hummed. “Often is, that one.” She looked up from the glasses. “Let me guess - he and Teddy are thick as thieves and cannot be prised apart, not even in the pursuit of alcohol.”
“Something like that.” Harry frowned suspiciously. “How did you know?
Ginny snorted. “They haven’t left each other’s side all night. Rather hard to miss.” Ginny smiled to herself. “He’s got it pretty bad, does our Jamie.”
Harry frowned. “Got what?”
Ginny looked at him like he was an idiot. “Teddy. He has a crush on him. Merlin, you are even less observant than Ron.” She shook her head.
“He… James?! Has a crush on…Teddy?! Our Ted? When did that happen?” Harry stared incredulously, mentally running the last 19 years through his head and coming up blank.
Ginny chuckled and continued pouring. “Oh, probably when he was about 12.”
Harry scratched his head. “But he’s…” He looked at the roof. “And Teddy is…” He flapped one hand about, as though trying draw Ginny a picture in the air of what he was failing to articulate. “They’re…” He held both hands out, moved them in a circle, then dropped them to his side with a pained wheeze. He was too drunk for this.
“Young? Attached at the hip? In love?” Ginny smiled warmly. “Oh, leave them be. It’s sweet. You can have a crisis about it later.”
Ginny patted him fondly on the cheek, and he smiled back. “Alright, fine,” he sighed. “I concede to your superior knowledge of all things related to our children and their wellbeing.”
“As you should.” Ginny began pouring again. “And you never know, you might get lucky yourself tonight.” Ginny winked at him.
“Oh is Fleur coming?” Harry feigned surprise. “I thought she was in France with her fam -ow!” Ginny threw a cork at his head. It bounced off and plopped into a full glass, which fizzed over.
“Idiot. That one’s yours. Come on, help me carry this lot in. And do us all a favour? Leave James to it, would you. I think he’s been building up the courage to do this for a while now.” She smiled. “And I can’t handle those two making soppy eyes at each other over Sunday lunch for another year.” She kissed him on the cheek.
Harry followed his wife back into the packed dining room, handing out glasses to the guests as he went. He felt curiously at ease with this development. Stranger things have happened in my life, he thought, as the countdown began.
Harry raised his glass.
3,
2,
1,
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
[CLICK FOR FULL SIZE]