Vagary

{Five}

Lily and James Potter were probably the most intimidating and loving people either Hermione or Harry had ever met. They stood as an united front, their hands entwined and statures tall and proud. Harry loved them instantly.

He ran right to them, hugging them before they could even get a word in. Attempting to make everything seem normal and right with the world however, Harry let go much earlier than he would have liked and literally wiped the grin off his face, hoping that the motion would help. And while the idea of staying in this reality forever was daunting and not quite settled into his brain fully yet, being able to hug his parents for the rest of their lives would make up for it.

Meanwhile Hermione watched from afar with teary eyes as Snape took her under his arm and asked where she'd been.

"Just had a chat with Harry is all, he was worried about me."

A low hum was her only reply when he kissed the top of her head.

"Are you alright, dear?" Lily asked Harry, smiling all the while. She placed a hand on his cheek, coming close to him in a motherly way Harry had only experienced from Molly Weasley.

"Lily," James laughed, pulling her back, "He's married, don't mother him."

"Are you okay? You're a bit peaky," Lily asked again, ignoring her husband who just laughed and shrugged off the situation to say hello to Severus and Hermione. "And you know you don't have to wear that shirt for me."

"Just fine," Harry said with a grin, "I'm brilliant, actually, and you know I'd do anything to make you smile."

Lily smirked.

"And Draco," she said sweetly, Harry watching as his mother took a few steps to his left and smiled even more brightly, tucking a strand of long, blonde hair behind his husband's ear, "The house looks wonderful, as usual. I see you changed the paint again."

"I have ample time for that when Harry is trying to get himself killed," the man drawled, attempting to make things seem normal.

He almost felt bad for Draco, that he had no idea this wouldn't be a one time thing, but like many other thoughts, Harry put this from his mind too.

"Mum," Harry talked excitedly, gaining much needed attention from her, tossing a mixture of emotions at Malfoy in a single look. "How's dad doing at the ministry?"

Lily laughed, a beautiful sound that Harry cursed Voldemort for taking away from him, before replying, "Good. I would say you should know since you're there, but you two haven't dealt much with one-another recently, which is probably for the better."

The beautiful vision that was Lily Potter winked with a green eye just like Harry's and went past him to join her husband who was animatedly speaking with Hermione about a few laws they were working on together. Her ability to seemingly know what he was talking about without hesitating was endlessly impressive, and Harry remembered why he loved her.

"Business already?" Lily wondered, bringing Hermione into a hug before she could even say hello. "Shame on you, Prongs."

James' eyes heavied with attraction, and while the idea of his parents... well, really he was just happy to experience them and tried not to think about that. He was content to see their love had lasted this long.

"Son!"

"Yes?" He replied shakily, causing James to chuckle.

"Where's Lucius?"

"I was wondering the same, Draco," Snape added, a foreign smile on his lips as well as he took Hermione's waist, pulling her closer.

There was a very small part of Harry that dreadfully wished to tackle the Potions Master to the ground, whether he was a war hero or not. Technically he was nothing here, and if Snape were in the know, it would have been good for him to remember that. Alas, a different world.