Like Grandfather, Like Father, Like Son
By WickedSong
Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter, never will. I own Sally Johnson though so if anyone wants to use her in a story you can but just ask my permission first please. :)
James Sirius Potter sat on a bench watching his brother Albus Severus showing off a new Quidditch move. James was sincerely trying to focus on watching his brother like his sister Lily Luna who was engrossed in the entire thing. James' mind was elsewhere though and he couldn't quite get that certain someone out of his thoughts.
"James!" James was brought out of his trance-like state by his brother who had finished his move and was waiting for some feedback.
"Amazing!" Lily gushed enthusiastically. She was mad about Quidditch and would always take the chance to watch or play it with her brothers. James was usually like Lily but he couldn't seem to keep his mind free of her these days. James just put two thumbs up towards his brother.
"What's up with you?" Albus asked sensing something on his mind.
"Oh, he's thinking about Sally" Lily teased.
"Shut up!" James exclaimed. His sister, though, was right. Sally Johnson was a fellow Gryffindor in his year of Hogwarts. He had liked her for the past year but couldn't quite say the right words or gain enough courage to let her know this. They were also friends and he didn't want to do anything that could maybe ruin that.
"Sally Johnson?" Albus asked as the three siblings walked home.
"Yep!" Lily replied excited "He's liked her for about a year now"
"Shut up!" James repeated again.
"Why haven't you asked her out then?" Albus asked ignoring his brother.
"It's…" James started but Lily cut in.
"Complicated?" Lily supplied as they walked into their home.
"What's complicated?" James groaned as his father, Harry James Potter walked into the hall.
"Nothing!" James shouted and he ran up the stairs to avoid his brother, his sister and his father.
"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked eyeing his other two children suspiciously as he turned back to see if James was up the stairs.
"Girl trouble" Lily commented slyly.
"Girl trouble?" Harry asked nervously. He had been dreading this day for a while. He may have faced the most evil dark wizard of his time and his death eaters but having to talk to his son about this kind of thing scared him immensely. He had hoped Ginny would talk to him when this day came but she was out with Hermione for the day and Harry could tell James' mood would just intensify if he left him.
"Yeah" Albus said nodding his head. He headed up the stairs.
"Lily?" Harry asked turning to his youngest child and only daughter "Do you have any idea who this girl is?"
"It's Sally" Lily replied simply. Harry gave a smile.
"His friend Sally?" He questioned.
"Yes" Lily replied walking into the sitting room of 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry stood awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs before deciding to go up and speak to his son. So he walked up the stairs and knocked on James' room door.
"Come in" He heard his son say and he opened the door. James lay on his bed just staring up at the ceiling.
"What's up?" Harry asked sitting at the foot of the bed.
"Nothing" James answered sitting up. He put his hand through his messy hair. Harry gave his son a disbelieving look.
"I know it's something" Harry told him "Al and Lily told me about Sally"
"Did they now?" James asked looking a little angry. Harry nodded his head.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. James thought for a moment.
"Well" He began delicately "I was wondering… if you could maybe just tell me how you knew that you" He paused looking for the right words "howyouknewyoulovedmum" He didn't mean it to come out in a big rush but it just did. He was embarrassed to ask about this.
"Excuse me?" Harry asked.
"How did you know you loved mum?" James replied clearly and he even had to force himself from going at hundred miles per minute.
"Oh" Harry thought for a couple of minutes how to answer the question "I guess when your mother wasn't around I began to appreciate how much I cared for her" Harry looked down at his lap "It wasn't until I was around your age, though, that I realized my feelings for her were… different that before?"
"Different than before?" James asked.
"I was best friends with your Uncle Ron and for the first five years of knowing her, I just assumed my feelings were brotherly for your mother but the summer before sixth year and all through sixth year things changed" Harry explained "Why do you think you like Sally that way?"
"I don't know" James confessed "It's just that this last year I started to notice small things and then he had to go and ask her out" Venom was in his voice the last part.
"Who?" Harry asked.
"Jonathan Reynolds" James replied coolly.
"Did she say yes?" Harry asked.
"No" James answered.
"Then what's the problem?" Harry asked crinkling his eyebrow in question.
"She likes another guy" James replied downcast "So now I have to find out who he is"
"I'm sure you will" Harry replied but he had a gut feeling that the guy Sally liked and the boy in front of him were the same person.
"Dad?" James asked after a minute or two of silence "How did you, you know, tell mum that you liked her?" Harry smiled at the question.
"I kissed her" He was still smiling as he answered "In front of all the Gryffindor's after the final game of the season" He smiled again but this time it was a wistful smile as he remembered.
"Cool" James said and he looked at his father with admiration and respect. Harry stood up and made his way to the door but not before turning around and facing his son, who was now sitting up and much more hopeful than before.
"James?" He enquired.
"Hmm?" James replied back in response.
"Sally has red hair right?" Harry asked.
"Yeah" James said nodding his head "Why?"
"No reason" Harry replied shaking his head. He opened the door and left his confused son sitting on his bed. When he was sure no one could hear him he chuckled quietly to himself.
"Like grandfather, like father, like son" He muttered walking down the stairs still laughing away to himself.
Almost a year later Harry sat in his study when Ginny walked in. She beamed as she held a letter.
"Gryffindor won the quidditch cup" She said smiling as she wordlessly handed her husband the letter.
"Who's it from?" He asked.
"Neville" She replied. Harry adjusted his glasses and read the letter. It said;
Dear Harry and Ginny
It looks like James has a girlfriend. I was checking in on Gryffindor (who won the quidditch cup, I may add) I was just about to leave when I heard some wolf-whistles, applause and cheers. Turning around I could never guess I'd see your James kissing Sally Johnson. Remind you of anyone?
Hoping you are well
Neville
"Did you tell him anything?" Ginny asked noticing Harry was at the end of the letter. "Like maybe how you kissed me the first time?"
"Maybe" Harry replied putting the letter down on the desk. He could feel himself smiling and could feel so much pride for his oldest son.
"It really is weird isn't it?" Ginny said scanning the letter from beside Harry. She then looked up at him "Like father, like son, eh?"
"Yes it is" Harry replied as he stood up and he gave Ginny a soft kiss on the lips. Once they were out the kiss he nodded his head "Like grandfather, like father, like son"
I know it's a bit of a cheesy story and a cheesy ending but I'm all about the cheese, man. :)
Originally I was going to have Albus but then I decided that I wanted to give James more love so I then wrote about him having a crush on a girl named Sally (a name I love now thanks to the Nightmare before Christmas)
Read and review please. Reviews make me happy. :)
EDIT: IF YOU READ BEFORE THE 19TH SEPTEMBER AND ARE RE-READING : You may have noticed that I changed the name of the guy who asked Sally out. This is in accordance with my series of oneshots story about James and Sally's years at school, James & Sally.