SFW Age Regression One Shots

Itty Bitty Deer Committee: Electric Boogaloo

More cuteness with tiny baby Harry and James age regressing again bc he feels safe. This takes place after they survive Moldy Voldy and Sirius isn't in Azkaban. 

Lily POV 

A week after Voldemort nearly kills all three of us, we finally have a day to ourselves. Sirius and Remus are staying with us, and Peter is in a Ministry holding cell. 

Sirius and Remus are finally asleep after a few glasses of wine and a very subdued game of wizarding chess. James is very quiet, cradling Harry in his arms.

The poor little toddler has been silent and clingy all day. Until this afternoon, he was endlessly fussing, his tiny fists holding his newly scarred forehead. We called a Healer, but nothing can be done. We all have been taking turns rubbing chilled lotion on his head and dimming the lights. 

James has been amazing, his leadership skills kicking into action and making sure everyone else stays afloat. He all but dragged Sirius and Remus over our doorstep, insisting they owe nothing and can stay as long as they want.

He yelled at Fudge, skipped an entire night of sleep just to keep Sirius free, and insisted Peter be imprisoned, but held in the Ministry for questioning. To say he's been practically carrying this entire house on his shoulders would be an understatement.

"Anyone hungry? I've a hankering for fish and chips."

Remus shuffles over, yawning. Sirius is still asleep. He's been having nightmares. Our of habit, we all look at James, who has set Harry in his playpen. These days, James takes charge with all the decisions, even small ones, and I'm grateful. But today, he's been unusually quiet.

I notice all the little signs my husband is showing; the tip of his thumb in his mouth, the quiet humming, his knees pulled up to his chest. I gently nudge his shoulder, and he grabs my hand with wide, innocent eyes.

Putting my arm around James's shoulder, I turn all my attention on him. "Hey...where are you at, buddy?"

His voice is so quiet and soft. "Miss Mummy. Want food...like Mummy’s. Cook...we cook?"

I ruffle his hair. "Of course, Jamie. Of course. Do you want pozole?"

His mother always made pozole in honor of a Mexican-American man they befriended years ago. The man was an Imam, a leader of a Mosque in Mexico. He helped James's parents to convert to Islam, and the rest is history.

James's eyes light up. "I help cook!"

I chuckle a little. "Not so fast, buddy. You're a bit young to be cooking. I'll let you wash the vegetables, alright?"

His eyes glaze a little, and I bite my tongue. He doesn't understand long sentences when he's small.

James pouts once he understands. "I too small. But otay."

I pat his hand and turn to Sirius. "We're thinking of making dinner, actually."

Remus looks interested. "Is it going to be greasy?"

James wrinkles his nose. "Yucky. We have soup!"

Remus doesn't seem fazed by James acting younger, only kneels next to Harry and watches the baby deer babble to his treasured owl. "Oh, I love soup! Perfect season for it. We've been doing frankly too much takeout."

Sirius wakes up, tossing hair out of his face. "What about takeout? Are we getting fish and chips again?"

James pouts once more, and hides his face in his shirt. I embrace him, ruffling his hair. "Nope. We're making pozole."

Sirius's eyes widen. "Like James's mum used to make? That stuff was good."

Remus adds, "Her cooking really was the greatest. Even when James and Sirius did questionable things with the chili peppers."

Sirius dissolves into laughter, I roll my eyes, and James, uncharacteristically, stays quiet.

It's not long before Remus notices James acting different, and tilts his head, smiling a little. He looks from James to me and gives a questioning look. I nod minutely, and he mouths, oh.

James hugs Mr. Dinosaur as we prepare the ingredients. Little toy airplanes fly around the kitchen, making him giggle and chase after them. Harry is in a baby carrier on Remus's chest, thumb in his mouth, fast asleep. The werewolf in question is reading the ingredient list, helping me keep James from the sharp knives and hot stove.

When James is safely distracted by giggling over his planes dive bombing the onions, Remus leans over to me. "Lily...what's going on? You don't have to...it's got to be a lot to handle..."

I sigh with sadness. "This is the first time he's smiled in a week. It began during hiding...he was covered in blood some days, would barely speak a word. It's his way of coping...it's not hurting anyone."

Sirius comes up, smiling at the sleeping Harry. "That smells brilliant. Prongs, mate, you're not putting those in the soup, are you?"

James gasps and whimpers, and I turn around to see that he accidentally dropped a plane into the pot. His lip trembles, and he holds his dinosaur tighter. I notice his hand is bright red. Oh no!

I rush over, gently taking his wand and rescuing the plane. For a moment, I'm overwhelmed. But then Remus takes the toy plane, shushing me. "Get James, Lils. I'll get the soup."

I nod in gratitude, gently guiding James to the sink. "Show me your hand, James."

His eyes tear up, and I wince. My voice was too harsh. "Your hand is red, darling. I need to see if you are hurt."

James quietly begins to cry, letting me take his hand. "I try help. But zoomy zoom go in soup."

I gently run cold water over his burned hand. "You did great, Jamie. You've helped enough, you just need to relax now."

A head of black curly hair appears above me. "James, mate, help your wife, yeah? She's got enough to do already."

I turn around, hand on my hip, my mum mode at 200 now. "Sirius Orion Black, go set the table."

He dutifully nods, looking rightfully shamefaced. James is staring at the floor, having stepped away from me. My temper rises, and I silently make a note to put extra chilies in Sirius's bowl.

Sirius comes back later to apologize. He sees James sitting underneath the desk, in a little safe place we both set up. He has lots of toy planes and his old childhood things in there, to help him feel calm.

I watch protectively, but Sirius is only kind as he sits on the floor outside James's safe spot. "Hey, Prongsie. I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't...I didn't know about, well...this."

James, who is wrapped in a blanket and hugging his dinosaur, says quietly, "You otay."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next few days, it's cold and rainy. The drum of rain on the roof and the gentle gloom lulls me into my small space again.

When I feel myself slipping in the middle of a debriefing with Kingsley and Dumbledore, I want to panic. But thankfully, when I miss a question, Sirius is quick to rescue me. He says something to make them all laugh and then gives an excuse. The two of us gladly leave.

He's restless, ranting about everything under the sun. I listen, wrapping my robes around me like a blanket. I want my safe place. I don't like it out here.

Sirius has ranted for an hour before he realizes how quiet I am. He looks a little puzzled. "You're very quiet."

I tug on his sleeve, hating how my voice is whiny. "Go home..."

His face softens. "Of course, James."

We Apparate home, and I run to my safe spot, wrapping myself in my blankets and grabbing my toys.

I eventually get bored and lonely, so I find him on the sofa. He enthusiastically hits the spot next to him, and I eagerly join him. I watch in a comforted silence,  my thumb in my mouth under the blankets.

The news comes on, and Sirius listens intently. I lean on him in silence, feeling comforted.