Call me Dad

Harry lay on his bed, watching the sun set. His mind on how he was supposed to get that potion before he went to bed. He assumed that it would be brought up to him, but by whom Harry wondered.

"Aw!" Harry jumped strait up and off his bed, so fast little black dots were across his vision for a second.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you like that," James said, smiling a little.

Harry's face flushed with embarrassment and he noticed James was carrying the glass of black Tiwh potion.

"What do you want?" Harry asked, turning from him.

"Um, to give you this and to.. Well talk," James said softly, setting the glass down on the bedside take closest to him and sitting on Ron's bed. Harry still had his back to him. They were like that in silence for a few minutes a small sniff came from Harry and James got up instantly.

Going around the bed to him he took out his wand, making it much brighter in the room. Harry kept his face down but could see how upset Harry was.

Looking down on the 14-year-old who he last known to be a one year old, James didn't quite know what to do, or say. For the boy obviously wanted nothing to do with him.

"Harry," he said, setting his hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry tore it away and backed up, looking James in the eye, " To you want to be killed again? Huh! Get away from me!" Harry shouted.

James narrowed his eyes for a moment, suddenly realizing what was wrong with Harry he took a step closer to him.

"No, I don't. But Voldemort isn't going to kill me again. And he definitely isn't going to be killing you," James said, getting closer and closer, he was a foot from Harry and Harry had nowhere else to back up to.

"Yes, he will. Everyone knows it, too," Harry said, putting his arm up so James couldn't get any closer.

James grabbed his hand and Harry tried to tear away but couldn't because James was just too strong.

"No, nobody knows it. You think it. I don't know it, Sirius doesn't, Professor Dumbledore! We all don't know it!" James said, thinking he wasn't going to spend the rest of his 'new' life not able to be close to his son because Harry was worried he would be killed.

"No! I'm going to lose you! HE said so! So I'm better off without you around!" Harry screamed, beginning to let himself go in a weeping mess.

Normally James would have been hurt by those words but he knew Harry was hurting far worse by saying it. James took a close look at him, "Harry, you aren't going to lose me. I promise."

Harry didn't say anything, his breathing heavy as he tried to control his emotions as he stared at his father's hand tightly around his wrist.

Harry gave up the fight. James would never give up no matter how long it took and it was just worse to do it that way. If he got close to James and he died Harry knew it would be too much for him, but he so badly wanted to have his father. His very own flesh and blood father.

Letting out a rather dry sob for all the crying he was doing, Harry brought his free hand up and tried to cover his face with it. James took it away from him into him. Harry's legs fell under him and they both went down to the floor. Harry took awhile to calm down. Everything he thought he got out before had decided there was more to come.

James just enjoyed being able to be there for his son. According to Sirius he hadn't seen him ever get upset for all that has happened and knew he had to break a few good times before it would out of his system.

After awhile Harry slowly pushed back. Again, was ashamed of his actions of acting like a baby in front of James.

"Sorry," he whispered, starting to get up.

"There is no reason for you to be sorry right now, Harry, none at all," James said, taking a deep breath and getting up too, giving Harry another tight hug.

As the days went by Harry was spending most of his time with James or Sirius. Taking his potion every night made it impossible for him to have a nightmare that was actually could hurt him.

"Harry, before your birthday gets here I want to make sure I give you a great present. One of which is almost for myself as well," James said the morning before Harry turned 15, the two of them were sitting in the Great Hall getting all the waffles, pancakes, sausage, toast and bacon they wanted. Harry was near full when James started talking about this 'present'.

"What is it?" Harry asked, exited but not showing it. His birthdays were never something he really celebrated, maybe for once this year would be different.

"Well, I can't tell you. But once we finish eating here I will bring you to it," James said.

"Why can't you tell me now, James?" Harry asked, looking at him with his green eyes that reminded James so much of Lily.

James wished Harry would call him Dad, but wasn't going to push the subject on him. Sirius said Harry would do it in his own time, but James was impatient.

He smiled and turned from his son and to his plate, "Because I want to keep it a secret,"

Harry didn't seem satisfied with this answer but ate quicker and was done before James.

Harry was about to say something to James when there was a voice from the doors of the Great Hall. Harry turned to see a smiling Sirius, singing as he came closer.

"Hi Harry, why are you sitting on that table?" Sirius asked, now right there beside the two.

Harry had moved from his spot next to James and impatiently sat on top of the table behind, staring at the back of his dad's head as he waited for the man to finish.

Harry shrugged at Sirius, smiling slightly, " Just to tell you, James never gets full," Sirius said.

"I've noticed," Harry said quietly.

Fifteen minutes later James and Harry were walking towards Hogsmeade. James seemed more relaxed then Harry would of imagined him to be with the both of them walking alone outside Hogwarts grounds. Harry didn't know that at that moment James was clutching his wand inside his left pocket, ready for any sort of attack.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked, looking around as James went left down the trail instead of right which was the way to enter Hogsmeade.

"You'll see," James said, smiling a bit, he put his arm across Harry's shoulders as the dirt trail suddenly turned to pavement. He looked back and saw that the dirt trail to Hogsmeade had disappeared.

"Whoa, where are we?" Harry asked when he looked forward again and saw houses and a road lined with flowers and nicely cut grass that Harry could see led to some kind of mall of buildings.

"We're in Cold Spring," James said as if it were no big deal.

"But we were just passing Hogsmeade," Harry said, feeling stupid for mentioning something so 'normal' for a wizard to experience.

"I transported us. This is a quite little muggle neighborhood. We are safe here, Harry. Every single being within a mile or so of here has been checked throughly,"

"What do you mean? We are staying here?" Harry asked, hopeful. He was used to living in a muggle environment. And even though he love Hogwarts to have an actual home with his very own father would be too good to be true.

James was grinning from ear to ear. He pointed to the nearest house. It was a brown color with a greenish door and roof tiles. Everything about it was perfect and Harry couldn't believe his eyes.

"Do you like it?" James asked as he and Harry stepped onto the driveway.

Harry just kept staring at the house, getting in every single detail. From the bushes lining the front, to the basket ball hoop in the driveway and the wooden fence going around the back. Harry just couldn't believe it.

"We live here?" He asked, trying not to raise his voice in excitement.

"Yes, we do, Harry. Want to see the inside?" James asked.

Harry nodded and followed James in awe. Going in the front door the first thing he saw was a wooden staircase going up, a closet and a hall that lead to an open living room and a kitchen separated by a wall.

Harry ran up the stairs to find a master bedroom that he assumed to be James's, a bathroom, and his own bedroom. All of which was already decorated and furnished.

His walls were a navy blue and on one had a shooting star. The rest of the walls were covered in little white stars Harry swore twinkled. His bed was neatly made with a light blue and a darker blue bed sheets. There was a muggle television on a TV stand, a dresser, his Hogwarts truck at the end of his bed and a desk with a lamp next to a window that went out to the front yard. Hedwing's cage was planted on top of his dresser.

"Hedwig!" Harry shouted, going over and sticking his finger in for her to nibble.

"You already want to ruin your nice new carpet with your dirty shoes?" James asked, following Harry.

Harry looked down, "Sorry,"

Before he could remove them James did, "No problem at all. Don't say you're sorry, it's fine," James said, sinking in Harry's new bed, he watched his son examine his room.

"My room is right next door. There's a basement but nothing is down there, it's unfinished. So... do you like it?" James asked.

Harry's face was glowing with happiness. He didn't have a clue what to say to James.

"I love it," he said, then he turned from him and lowered his voice, "You know, you didn't have to do this,"

"What do you mean? Of course I did. You're my son. My responsibility. Why wouldn't I want to give you this nice house that- I may add- Sirius helped put together. Remus, too," James said, getting up and going over to Harry to give him a hug. Harry hugged him back, allowing James to feel how tense Harry was.

"Just relax, buddy, relax!" James whispered in his ear, rubbing up and down Harry's back.

Harry tore from him, keeping his eyes to the floor, "Voldemort will find me here. And then he'll kill you, too," Harry said, exiting the room. He didn't get far when James grabbed his arm and kept him from going down the stairs.

"Don't say that. He's not,"

"Yes he is. He always finds a way! Always! You're going to die again you know!" Harry shouted, trying to get James to let go of him.

"Harry! That's not going to happen! I don't care how many times it takes for me to tell you this- but we are safe here. Just as safe as at Hogwarts. I'm safe and more importantly you are," James said.

James saw how filled Harry's green eyes were with confusion and sadness. All he wanted was to take that away. But it would take time.

"You don't understand, James," he said with his teeth clenched.

James shook his head, "You know you can call me dad, right? And of course I understand. I do, Harry, I do,"

Harry looked away and pulled from James's grasp. He went down the stairs and out of sight. James stood there a minute, thinking, before he followed.