To Be Free, h. granger

fate has settled.

9th October 1984.

The day was cold, a breeze causing the orange leaves to sway around, twirling around and few falling off, their year long life coming to an end. Nature was beautiful, all working together to create an equally beautiful earth. Michael always adored being outside, something his parents realised from the moment he first set foot in the back garden.

He enjoyed watching the world work with its natural wonder before his very eyes. Little animals always seemed to like him, the boy was always picking up little creatures and befriending wild rabbits and hedgehogs. Harry didn't have much of an interest with all that, would rather keep a distance when Michael was holding worms and caterpillars and the like.

Michael was stood now, head of soft curls flowing in the calm wind as he watched a small bird feed its chicks in the small nest that sat atop the tree in their garden. He was covered in a knitted sweater, a mix of blues— a fashion choice Remus had seemed to train onto the boy, always gifting him them, and never going to waste with the boy.

"Michael, look!" Harry walked over, and came to sit down next to him from wobbly feet, handing over something soft and small. A tiny little bird now sat in Michael's hands, he marvelled at it, hazel eyes watching it carefully.

He smiled at Harry and stood up, slowly going over to where James was sitting on a chair watching them, "Daddy, you put bird in the tree?"

"Hm? Oh— yes, come on" James got up and held his hands out, cupped and ready for the small thing. He wasn't entirely sure when the pair had acquired a chick but had started to stop questioning from that time Michael tried to bring a squirrel into the house, "Do you like birds, Michael?"

Michael nodded, eyes staying on the bird to make sure nothing bad happened to it. James was always wondering about the boys love for nature, wanted to know how his son's brain worked so wonderfully so young. He'd figured Harry out easily, the boy was always up for mischief— though Michael was never against it either, but Harry was just so much like himself. In the way he acted and the way he talked— when it actually came out in coherent sentences that is. But Michael was more of a mystery, James could see some of his own traits, Lily's as well, hewas always up for getting read to when Harry wasn't as much. James knew he would be brilliantly bright like Lily.

James slowly lifted the chick into the birds nest, slightly scaring the mother bird in the process. The small chick wasn't the same as the others, it's feathers darker and it's body smaller, probably not the same species— but that didn't seem to matter. Mother bird just reached for another worm with her beak and fed it to the poor thing. Maybe that's what it was, part of it, the way everything on nature had a purpose and everything had a home, a place they could go to. Humans weren't as kind as animals, maybe Michael had already figured that out.

"There you go, look, birdy is safe at home"

Michael was happy with that, moving over to hug Harry, James always loved when they did that. The two just got along through everything they did, he supposed that was what being a twin was like, you're born together so naturally you do everything together. It was such a strong bond between the two boys, and James knew that was the type that lasted a lifetime, even beyond that.

Setting a hand on their shoulders, James started pushing them inside, "Okay, that's time up. Let's go inside"

War wasn't kind. It came with devastation and loss. Something James had hoped to keep his children away from, the moment they were brought into the world. But things had gotten bad. Voldemort was at higher power than ever. The order was falling apart and everything was turning upside down.

A prophecy had gotten out, quickly put in the hands of the Dark Lord. James doesn't know the exact contents of it, Dumbledore wouldn't tell him when he'd asked. Measures had to be put in place quickly. The Potters had to name a secret keeper to protect their location, no visitors were allowed. Voldemort was potentially trying to come after one of the twins.