Jily Oneshots (pt2)

Baby Potter

by CelestialSeaWitch on archiveofourown.org

A child was crying.

Padfoot paused in his run, ears perked and head cocked to the side curiously. The massive black Grim moved hesitantly through the Forbidden Forest towards a small clearing. The crying grew louder and Padfoot knew he was getting closer.

What was a child doing in the Forbidden Forest in the dead of night? The question had barely entered his mind before it was quickly driven out again by the child’s cry.

Padfoot dashed into the clearing and tried to look as unimposing as possible. His act failed before he even really attempted it, because when Padfoot entered the clearing his massive jaw dropped in disbelief.

The child was the spitting image of his best friend. He gasped upon seeing Padfoot and hiccuped before reaching his little fingers out to the dog in a grabbing motion — the universal action of a child wishing to be held.

A horrible thought crossed Padfoot’s mind, had someone de-aged his best friend?

Padfoot transformed and Sirius Black stepped closer to the hiccupping and red-faced toddler. He’d bent down and was about to pick the babe up when James Potter appeared at the edge of the clearing.

“Blimey, Prongs,” Sirius stated, bewildered, “when’d you go and have a kid?”

“Excuse me?”

The toddler gasped and spun around. His emerald green eyes widened at the gobsmacked James. “Daddy!”

James’ eyes widened as the red-faced toddler struggled across the uneven ground towards him. The boy fell and erupted into wails once more. The cries quickly snapped James out of his shock and he rushed forward to pick the little boy up. James held him close and rubbed his small back, swaying slightly as he shushed the child.

Sirius watched on, suitably impressed.

Now only hiccupping and slightly red-faced again, the boy leaned his head against James’ shoulder, his coke-bottle glasses going cock-eyed as he did, and closed his eyes.

James leaned around awkwardly to get a better look at the boy's face. “Damn,” he said quietly before looking back to Sirius, “he really does look like me.”

“So he’s not you?”

James glared at his friend.

“Oi. Don’t give me that look, mate. It’s a good question, I’ve seen your baby photos.”

James rolled his eyes. He examined the boy again and found his finger drawing along a lightning bolt-shaped scar. “Well, that settles it.”

Sirius pushed back James’ fringe to quickly inspect the forehead he already knew was scar-free. “Yeah,” Sirius agreed, “he’s not you.”

James looked around the darkened forest uneasily. “We should get back to school.”

Sirius nodded amicably and the two headed towards Hogwarts. “Are we going to keep him?”

James glared at his best friend. “Are you stupid?”

Sirius turned and narrowed his eyes, as if actually considering the question seriously. James rolled his eyes and kept walking. Sirius studied James’ easy ability with the now dosing toddler.

“You’re quite good at that.”

“You know I like kids.”

“Yes, but you’re never around them, are you?”

James shrugged. “I used to take care of younger cousins a lot. Before my parents fully pulled away.” James stared out into the night darkly.

Sirius shook his head and glared without heat. “Blood traitors.”