Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s likely that James experienced his worst winter in 1980.

He knew he should feel happy; he had everything he had ever wished for…a beautiful and healthy son, and a wonderful wife. Nevertheless, he was lonely. Every night for the past few months had looked the same. James was tired and so close to going insane with the same old routine.

Lily usually arrived late from work, and immediately went to Harry’s bedroom to put him down to sleep. Meanwhile, James stayed downstairs cleaning the kitchen, collecting Harry’s toys, and winding down for the day. He loves his child, but parenthood is hard while there is a war happening outside his home. Lily worked as an Unspeakable while he stayed home, caring for Harry. James wasn’t even quite sure what exactly Lily was doing inside the Department of Mysteries. As with all the Unspeakables, she could not discuss it and when asked, all her responses were vague, at best. James only knew Lily was studying time and parallel universes.

While collecting Harry’s toys in the living room, James found a necklace with a round wooden charm on a copper chain he did not recognise. As soon as he touched it, the charm started to glow. The charm had two large XXs carved in the middle of it.He could also perceive additional carvings in the opposite side of the wood that he rapidly recognised as the runes ehwaz and raido. Thank Merlin for Sirius’ obsession with runes. When James traced the runes with his fingers, the artefact got hot and started to vibrate. The more he traced them, the faster and hotter the charm got until it emitted a pulse of light that blinded James, causing him to fall onto his back.

All the lights went out in James’ home, and he found himself alone in his dark living room. When he fell, he collected the necklace he dropped and softly put it on the coffee table. Clearly, the necklace was not something of Harry’s, and it was from Lily’s work.

“Why did Lily bring a rare amulet from work to home, just to drop it on the floor?”

James moved upstairs to continue with his nightly routine. First, he checked Harry’s room, looking in from the door. He didn’t want to disturb him. Recently, Harry started teething and wasn’t sleeping through the whole night. James looked at the time noticing it was later than he thought, so he quietly closed the bedroom door and joined his wife in bed. Entering the room, he saw the lights were off and found his wife asleep on her side, with her back to him. James sighed in frustration at how this became part of their routine. When they first got married, they used to spend so much time together. They went to Order meetings and missions, and Friday night dinners with the Marauders—James lived his life fully and with a purpose. He loved his work as an Auror, but when his parents died, he quit. Now, between the war, her work, and the baby, they didn’t interact anymore. James barely talked with his friends either, come to think of it. When he entered the bed, Lily moved. James threw an arm around her waist and nestled closer to her. He missed her deeply and yearned for their pre-war life, but she didn’t know just how much.

“Harry?” she said, and tried to turn around, but James pinned her in place and lightly caressed her belly. He loved her body after they had Harry and adored all the imperfections that she complained so much about. Her breathing started getting shorter, and he knew she liked his ministrations.

“I just checked the baby. He’s sleeping. I swear there are days he could sleep through everything,” James chuckled, and he felt how his breath on the back of her neck made her whole body tremble.

She took a deep breath, and in one breath answered, “Unlike his dad.” James moved his hand lower, to her thighs and trailed the tips of his fingers up and down and he felt as she moved her body back, wanting to get closer to him.

“It’s hard to sleep sometimes with everything that has happened,” James replied honestly. This war was taking a toll on his marriage and relationships with his friends. There’s no denying that. Right before James could add anything else, she replied with a strained voice, “I know. I’ve been missing you. We don’t talk as much as we used to. I’m aware of our situation, but it doesn’t make me miss you any less.”

James let go of a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. He moved even closer to her and slowly began tracing love runes into his wife’s tights. Her breathing got faster, and he whispered, “I missed you too,” while pushing his erection into her lower back.

“It’s been so long…with the pregnancy, then the baby and work,” she said while she moved her arse into his erection, seeking some friction.

“I know, sweetheart,” he murmured before starting to kiss her neck and initially James noticed how she stiffened for a few seconds until she relaxed under his touch.

“Shhh, let me take care of you. Let me take care of my wife,” he said and moved his hand to her inner thigh.

“Please…please,” Lily begged.

“Please what, wife?” he teased.

“Touch me. It’s been so long. I need you.”

James slid his hands over her underwear, finding her already wet, and growled, “You’re so wet for me, wife, that you soaked your underwear. You don’t know how much I want you, Sunshine”. Lily shivered as she heard her pet name and James kissed and sucked her neck, leaving bruises along the way. He was so hard. They hadn’t had sex in months, and he craved her. James needed her desperately.

He turned her body, laying her back in the bed as he moved between her thighs to kiss her passionately. The air got heavier, and their bodies got hotter as they ravished each other’s mouths and rolled their hips together, seeking friction, immersed in the room’s darkness. James kissed down her chest, drawing down the strap of her silk nightclothes, and took one of her nipples into his mouth. She gasped as he gently bit her nipple and he smiled inwardly. James loved to see his wife becoming undone under his touch. He kissed lower, over her belly, down to her navel. He wanted to taste her. She begged, louder and louder, “Please, please, oh Merlin, don’t make me wait for your mouth anymore.” Her hands grabbed his head, guiding him in between her legs at the same time James was taking off her ruined knickers.

James couldn’t wait anymore either. He was as desperate as she was. When he finally spread her folds and licked over her clit with his tongue, Lily took a sharp intake of breath. She was now wetter than before. “Sunshine, I missed your delicious cunt for too long. I swear to you…” the smell of her arousal intoxicated James and he groaned, “Merlin, you smell like sin, but thanks to Godric, you’re mine, Sunshine”. He sucked her clit, and she grabbed his hair to keep him in place. James was sucking, biting, and licking her clit mercilessly, and finally slipped a finger inside her.

Lily moaned and gasped, “Fuck… fuck… fuck… I’m coming!”

James chuckled, “Already? We’re just getting started.”

He slowed down, shoving in a second finger and Lily whined, “No, fuck, no, please. I need to come. Let me come. I’m… I’m so… so close.” He smiled and continued working between her legs, changing his pace to edge her into near insanity. She intertwined her hands deeper into his hair and kept grinding her hips against his face, searching for the climax she desperately begged for. His free hand was grabbing her thigh, leaving marks he was sure would become bruises in the morning, until he felt her walls fluttering around his fingers.“Come on my fingers, Sunshine…come, and then I’ll fuck you.” With his words, she reached her climax, her entire body trembling.

He moved up and kissed her with her taste still on his tongue, “You’re exquisite, Sunshine. Your taste, your body, your nature, you.” She smiled and purred at his words while he finally took his trousers off and pumped his cock in preparation.

Lily was panting and begged, “I need you inside me, now, please.”

James rubbed his length against her cunt, collecting her wetness, and sank into her. Thrusting into her slowly initially, so she could adjust to his size, “You feel so good.” He increased his pace, going faster, desperate, pushing his fingers into her hips. Knowing he wouldn’t last long, he moved one of his hands in between them to circle her clit. Lily’s walls spasmed and contracted, milking every drop of his seed. He let out a strangled cry and thrust deep inside of her. Immediately, their mixed release leaked down her thighs when James pulled out his softening cock.

He let himself fall on the pillows to her right, his forearm over his face, covering his eyes as he caught his breath.

Before they could say a word, they fell asleep.

Later, in the middle of the night, the baby started crying, “Let me get the baby, I want my two men in bed with me.” She grabbed the baby from the other room quickly and returned without delay. They were both cuddling in bed with the baby and she murmured sleepily, “I love you so much Harry, thank you for making us a family.”

“You’re the most important person in my life...you know that, right?” James breathed. He felt more than saw her nod in response and heard her mumbled, “I love you,” before both fell asleep again.

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

It was the next morning when the baby started fussing, and James opened his eyes. He noticed some differences in the room. It was his bedroom, but the wall colours and the furniture were completely different. It looked as if someone had recently renovated the entire room overnight. When he looked at his wife Lily, who was sleeping on her side, giving him her back, her hair colour was different—more vibrant. James saw Lily’s freckled skin and thought it reminded him distantly of the Weasleys. He started panicking then, thinking about what could’ve happened and why his wife looked different. Hesitantly, James reached out to her to wake her up, his fear battling with his Gryffindor courage. He started calling her name and touched her arm when he felt his wife turning.

“Harry, were you dreaming of your mom again?” she said in a sleepy voice.

“How do you know my son’s dreams? And you’re not Lily… where is my wife? What did you do to her?” James said, raising his voice.

He saw this strange woman open her brown eyes, definitely not his wife’s usual green.

“WHO ARE YOU!? Where is Harry? Where is my AUROR husband?” She screamed while covering her still naked body with the sheet.

The baby began crying. James instinctively took the baby, and the strange woman grabbed the baby from his arms. “Don’t you dare to touch my baby,” she rocked the baby up and down. “James… Jamie it’s okay, shh, shh.”

“What did you just say? What’s the baby’s name?” James felt as if he woke up in a different dimension.

She began screaming again and stood up from the bed with the baby to get away from him, “YOU’RE IN MY HOUSE LOOKING IDENTICAL TO MY HUSBAND AND YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO WE ARE?” That’s when he saw how she was reaching for her wand and James quickly raised his arms in surrender to show her he wasn’t a threat to her.

“Witch, for Merlin’s sake, this—” James moved his arms around, showing her the room. “This is my house and that’s my son right there. My son Harry…Harry Potter,” James said, trying his best to sound confident, but by the state of the room, he wasn’t sure it actually was his house.

Her already big brown eyes opened impossibly wider and looked at him with her mouth agape in shock, “You… you’re James? Are you James Potter?” She asked him, bringing a hand up to cover her mouth. “You’re James Fleamont Potter.” This time it wasn’t a question, but a realisation of who he was.

“Yes, I am. Are you sleeping in my house, in my bed without even knowing who I am?” James said repeating the same phrase she used, “Can I know who you are?” He was getting exasperated with this situation. She took a calming, deep breath and sat on the bed again. James’ eyes went to her wand, but she noticed and left it on top of the night table instead of grabbing it like she had meant to.

She gave him a weak smile and replied, “James, I’m Ginny Potter.”

He felt the confusion and panic rise in his throat, the feeling threatening to close his airways. Ginny reached out to him, took his hand, and grounded him before his panic completely took over. She smiled at him and continued, “I’m Harry’s wife…your son’s wife.”

James thought his situation couldn’t get worse, but he was even more confused about how his 6-month-old son could have a wife.

“James, you disappeared 20 years ago, and everyone believes Death Eaters killed you during the First Wizarding War,” she continued.

“What did you just say? Ginny, right?” She nodded. “What are you talking about? Wait, you said ‘First Wizarding War’. What do you mean by the First Wizarding War? Is there more than one?” James stood up from the bed and paced around the bedroom while he ran his hand through his black, dishevelled hair.

“Your son, Harry, is now 20, and this is our son, James Sirius Potter, named after you and Sirius Black,” Ginny looked at James with sad eyes.

James was stunned until the memories of the previous night hit him. He paused and looked at Ginny with his hazel eyes, saw how she instantly recognised his scared expression and tried to reach for his hands to comfort him again, but James was already getting hysterical.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck. We… We had sex last night. You were right here in the bed, right? Fuck, I had sex with my son’s wife! Bloody fucking hell!” James went back to pacing around the room, passing his hands over his face.

Ginny’s eyes met James’. He saw the moment she realised she’d had sex the night before with him, not Harry.

Panicked, they looked at each other, realising they were still naked. Ginny covered herself with the sheets and James with his hands.

After a moment, Ginny silently got out of bed and left.

James grumbled while getting dressed and couldn’t stop thinking about how he had just cheated on his wife. It was an accident, he realised, but what would Lily think about what he did—how she would react when she knew James had sex with their daughter-in-law? He suddenly felt an unusual and heavy weight in his stomach, and then reality abruptly slammed back into him.

Lily, Lily…fuck, Lily.

The woman, his wife, who is now 20 years older, thinks he has been dead for two decades. She might have remarried and had more children with another man.

James didn’t know what to do.

Ginny opened the door, and he jumped as she re-entered the room. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, as she was trying to find the correct way to address their mistake. “We shouldn’t tell Harry about last night, about the sex part.”

James nodded, “Agreed.”

“It… it was a mistake. I… I…I thought you were my husband,” Ginny said, lowering her head and hiding in shame and sadness.

He sighed, “And I thought you were Lily. I… fuck, I’m sorry. I know you don’t know me, but I genuinely thought you were my wife. I’d never touch you if I knew. Merlin, I can’t even imagine what it’s like for you.” He tried to reach out to Ginny to comfort her, and she automatically recoiled. James understood, taking a few steps back and asked, “Can I ask you a few things?”

“We should wait for Harry,” Ginny sighed, shaking her head. Without awaiting his reply, she turned to walk from the room. “I’m going to make breakfast, you can join me if you want,” she stated before closing the door behind her a bit too hard—more than she had to.

James nodded, even though she had already left, and stayed in the bedroom. At this moment, he needed to be alone.

As soon as Ginny left the room, James collapsed on the bed. It seemed to him as if he was descending into a rabbit hole. Did he time travel 20 years into the future? They named the baby after him, the “dead” grandfather, and one of his best friends, Sirius. Does this mean that Sirius was also dead? Where is Remus, Peter, and especially his wife, Lily?

He heard the Floo activate and muttered voices coming from the living room.

“What do you mean? My dad is dead, Ginny. Twenty years ago, Death Eaters kidnapped and killed him from this same living room,” a male voice screamed.

James was walking out of the bedroom before he registered the action after he heard who this voice must belong to: his son, Harry.

“Harry, can you listen to me for once? He is alive and in the bedroom. He appeared out of nowhere last night. I…,” Ginny pleaded, trying to explain the situation to her husband.

“Last night… LAST NIGHT? And you called me today? That man might be anyone. You know there are still Death Eaters on the loose,” Harry kept raising his voice to his wife.

He watched as Ginny flinched with every word Harry said. She took a deep breath and gently put her hand on his arm, much like she had with him earlier, and with a soft voice said, “I was already asleep when he appeared in the house. I thought it was you because you told me you were arriving last night, but you didn’t. That’s why I didn’t realise until this morning.”

James tried to be as quiet as he could, but the stairs squeaked. The fighting instantly stopped, and now he has two sets of eyes looking directly at him. He came down the stairs without stopping to look at Harry, his 20-year-old son. Now, standing before James, was the same person who had been the baby he left in his crib the night before. Harry was the spitting image of his father. They shared the same height, the same hair, and even wore the same glasses. At that moment, he understood the reason his wife mistook him for Harry. The major difference was his son’s eyes; they were the same green as Lily’s. James thought of the baby’s eyes from earlier and recalled he had the same eye colour as Ginny. James’ eyes sought out Ginny, seeking her eyes to confirm, but she avoided him. He looked back at Harry. James tried to utter a simple “Hello,” but for the first time ever, he became speechless. They locked eyes…the seconds stretching into what seemed like an eternity, before Harry finally broke the silence.“Fuck, fuck, are you really him?”

“You shouldn’t curse, son,” James joked, trying to diminish the pressure he felt in his chest. Harry just froze and stared at him in silence, while tears poured into his eyes.

After a few minutes, Harry simply said, “I… I should call Hermione,” but when he tried to flee the room, Ginny rolled her eyes, grabbed him by his arm.

“Do you have to call her now? Don’t you think you should talk first before getting the Unspeakables involved in this situation?”

Harry didn’t respond. He didn’t even look at his wife. James didn’t say a word either. Harry quickly cast a corporeal Patronus—a stag like James’. While Harry sent the message, James looked at Ginny, and she averted his eyes again. He wanted to ask her if she shared the same Patronus with his son that he and Lily did. In daylight, he could see all the differences between Lily and Ginny. It wasn’t only their physical traits, but something else he couldn’t identify, and it caused him to stare at her.

Harry sent the Patronus to the Unspeakables, and he signalled to James for him to sit down. They both walked in silence until they simultaneously sat down on the sofa. After several long moments, Harry cleared his throat. “I think we should wait for Hermione. She’s my best friend, and an Unspeakable. If we need any help, she’ll help us. Do you want a cup of tea?” Harry said, finally raising his eyes to his own. James nodded, and they walked to the kitchen together.

A couple of minutes passed before James heard the Floo activate once more. From the living room, a female voice called out for Harry frantically, who went to meet her, matching the urgency she expressed in her voice. James wasn’t ready to meet any Unspeakables. There was so much he wanted to know first. He heard the hushed voices coming from the living room and went to join them. When he entered the living room, the short woman with wild hair stopped talking in the middle of her sentence. She turned to him, looked directly into his eyes, and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Harry, the resemblance is uncanny. You look almost like twins, except for your eyes,” the woman said and turned her body toward Harry and caressed his cheek. James could swear he saw how his son blushed at the gesture, but before he could comment on it, the woman grabbed him and moved him towards the sofa.

“I don’t know if Harry told you who I am, but I’m Hermione Granger and I’m currently an Unspeakable within the Department of Mysteries. Inside the Department, I study time and the parallel universes same as Lily did at some point. That’s why he,” Hermione extended her arm towards Harry to grasp his hand and continued, “called me first. That way, we can resolve this situation with no major scandal.”

Harry snorted and Hermione chuckled, “Yes, I know Harry, but if we can avoid part of a potential scandal, I’d call it a win for us. James, can I ask you a few questions?”

James, who until this moment hadn’t said a word, took a deep breath and said, “Finally.”

He described everything that had happened the night before, and as Ginny and he had discussed, he skipped mentioning anything regarding the sex that had taken place between them. The amulet was still sitting on the coffee table. Hermione analysed the necklace without touching it, levitating it to get a closer look. The necklace, made of black walnut and a copper chain, was a powerful yet sturdy magical artefact, Hermione noted, attributing its potency to the combination of materials used. Though unsure of its origins, Hermione recognised the carved runes, suggesting it was a handcrafted, and probably an ancient version, of a Time-Turner. She cast a few incantations on James to verify his health and the state of his magic. Time travel can make magic unstable, and there were theories about how a person could disappear. After Hermione was sure about James’ magic stability, she summoned other Unspeakables and the Aurors.

A group of people appeared at the doorstep, and the process started again. James had to explain everything, again and again, causing him to become anxious. He didn’t have any idea how much time had passed since sitting on the sofa, numb about the whole situation. He felt a hand on his shoulder that made him look up and saw her, Ginny, looking him down with a warm smile on her face. Ginny moved her head towards the kitchen, and James followed her without giving a second thought. When they entered the kitchen, she quickly put a kettle on the stove and began to prepare lunch in complete silence.

“How are you feeling, James? I noticed you’re fidgeting a bit. Harry does the same thing,” Ginny said, breaking the silence between them. James shook his head. He didn’t have words to describe how he felt, and everything bottled up in his throat, preventing him from speaking. She walked towards him and stroked his back, comforting him. Harry walked into the kitchen minutes later, announcing everyone had left.

James couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Chapter Text

There was an uncomfortable silence while they had dinner. James couldn’t stop thinking about his wife—where she was, if she knew about him—but he noticed Harry was hiding something from him and he was sure had to be regarding Lily. The anxiety made his leg jump up and down until he felt a hand stroking his knee. Ginny. He couldn’t look at her after what they had done. James still felt the ghost of her body on his skin, and the feeling was making the situation harder than it already was.

James took a deep breath, finally breaking the silence, and worriedly asked, “Harry, where is your mother?”

Harry sighed and stayed quiet for a few minutes until he broke the silence. “I think it’s time for us to talk. Ginny, can you give us a few minutes?”

Nodding, she stood, leaving the room to check on the baby.

James couldn’t believe Harry’s story about the First Wizarding War. Not even his worst nightmares came close to everything Harry told him. Lily was dead. Everyone he knew and cared for was no longer living. After James’ disappearance, the Ministry and The Order presumed him dead, and Lily and baby Harry went into hiding to be safe from the war and the prophecy. They were safe, until Peter betrayed them, and Lily sacrificed herself for Harry. His wife was dead, and James couldn’t stop crying in disbelief. He should have been there with Lily and Harry, protecting them, but somehow, he had ended up 20 years in the future instead.

James took a calming deep breath.

“Growing up with Remus and Sirius should have been fun, at least. Did your godfather fix this house, after…” James cleared his throat, “or did you live in another place? I can’t imagine Sirius and Remus raising you in their tiny London flat.”

“Dad, Sirius…” James noticed Harry’s difficulty swallowing.

“They sent Sirius to Azkaban. They falsely blamed him for Lily and Peter’s deaths. I went to live with the Dursleys.”

James shook his head in disbelief. Everyone knew Petunia hated Lily and her magic.

Who would have thought that was a good idea? It was clear in their will. If something happened to both James and Lily, Sirius and Remus would take care of Harry. There was even a Gringotts bank account set up for this, just in case.

Harry finished the story about his childhood, the Second Wizarding War, and the death of everyone he’d known. He felt like dying from the pain, the grief…the guilt. Everyone was dead, and James couldn’t be there with them.

His mind ran a million thoughts in a second.

Lily died alone, hiding in a safe house, betrayed by one of his best friends. Instead of being here, he should have been defending his wife. He shouldn’t be here while his brother spent 12 years in Azkaban, not here while Remus had to go through every full moon by himself until the war killed him, too. James promised Remus that he would never have to transform alone again. He broke his promise to him. He broke so many promises when he disappeared. Everyone died thinking he was dead, and he was here, getting a second chance he didn’t deserve.

Harry was talking, but James couldn’t pay any attention to what he said. The pain and anger James felt was blinding and deafening. James lowered his head, allowing the pain to take over, as the tears ran down his face.

The grief took over James for months.

The pain of the loss of his life, wife, and family was too heavy for him to bear. He didn’t know what loneliness was until he saw himself in the guest bedroom of his home with no one to talk to. James felt guilty for surviving, for how tired of that life he had felt. He wanted to go back and tell his wife how much he loved her one last time.

One of his biggest achievements in life was Harry and now he was older than him and had a family of his own—one that didn’t include James.

Another failure, another reason for James to feel guilty, was the abuse Harry had suffered as a child. The Dursleys starved his son and made him work like a house elf. The worst part was that the person who James trusted the most, Dumbledore, allowed it all to happen.

James didn’t leave his room for weeks. Ginny was his only connection with the outside world. She left him every meal in front of the bedroom door.

The first few days, James couldn’t make himself eat. Ginny was relentless, not giving up until she had stormed into the room screaming at him. James was sitting in a corner of the bedroom with his arm wrapped around himself, not even flinching in response to her caterwauling. He watched her take a deep breath, and when she finally saw him, she sat down on the floor next to him. She didn’t leave the room until he ate, and had been doing it with every single meal she served him since. They didn’t talk. James didn’t have the energy for it. Even when Ginny tried to make small talk a few times, James wouldn’t say anything, and pushed her away.

How could she understand how lonely and guilty he felt? She simply couldn’t.

James only saw her reflected in the guilt he felt about cheating on his dead wife with Ginny. The pain of his betrayal was still too present in his heart.

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

On James’ birthday, he stopped trying entirely.

He was numb.

His eyes didn’t have any more tears left to cry.

James had become a shell of a person—barely existing, lying in bed with his eyes closed, avoiding his new reality. His hunger and his willingness to live, leaving his body.

A high-pitched sound in his ears muffled all the noise and voices. He felt as if he was losing his mind. James didn’t realise that the high-pitched sounds were his screams, not until he felt Ginny’s hands on his shoulder. She screamed and shook him out of his grief-induced trance. Wasn’t until Ginny hugged James that he stopped screaming and crashed into her arms, crying. Ginny sat on the bed while James desperately sobbed, and he laid his head on her lap as she stroked his hair.

The moment James calmed down, he looked up intending to tell her she could leave him alone and that she should go back to Jamie. Only this time, when he really looked into her eyes, she didn’t avoid him and looked back. When he finally took notice of her eyes, the major difference between Lily and her became apparent. It was loneliness, sadness, and grief. James realised Ginny understood how he felt, because she felt it, too. She was lonely too. He saw his grief reflected in her eyes and, for the first time, he didn’t feel as lonely as before.

After that day, he started to notice her more, took stock of how hard her life was. All by herself every day taking care of the Jameses: himself and the baby.

Harry wasn’t in the picture. Always away, always with a case, always busy. Those were the excuses Ginny told him every time he asked after his son.

One night, he heard them fighting in the hallway. James stood up from bed and pressed his ear against the door to hear more clearly. Ginny demanded an explanation about his absence and the reason why he hadn’t gone to talk with James.

Harry didn’t reply.

There was only silence until James heard the Floo activating.

James knew the hardships of caring for a baby by himself and felt sorry for Ginny. He turned to walk toward his bed, but he heard her collapse on the floor crying. James, without hesitation, left the room to help her. Seeing her on the floor, the reality of the situation suddenly hit James. Ginny was as lonely as James felt. His heart ached for her—for the woman who had taken care of him for weeks. He tried to get close to her, and she pushed him away, telling him to leave her alone. The same way he had done before. James was nothing if not stubborn and didn’t listen to her, instead choosing to sit down on the floor near her. Without touching her or trying to console her, he only wanted to let her know she wasn’t alone anymore.

That night changed everything. James couldn’t keep allowing himself to be a burden to Ginny.

The next morning, James woke up early and, after a shower, went down to the kitchen while Ginny prepared breakfast. When he said good morning, she gave him a smile that warmed his heart. It was the first time he saw a genuine smile grace her face since his arrival. Not a polite or pitying smile…but one that reached her brown eyes, making them sparkle with warmth. James promised himself he would take care of her the same way she did with him, and if it was up to him, she would never shed another tear. He needed to ease her burdens.

They sat down together at the dining table to have breakfast in silence, but he observed everything she did, studying her. Ginny broke the quiet, telling him that Harry was going to America on a mission for a few weeks. There were rumours about Death Eaters hiding there, and Harry went to aid the investigation. That was the spark they needed to stop the silence between them.

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

As the weeks continued to pass, the dynamic between them changed even more.

They worked amazingly well together. James was doing what he did best: caring for the baby and helping around the house. Slowly, he saw her smile more and began to notice physical changes, too. Her skin was glowing, and her red hair was brighter. The conversations between them were still minimal. They didn’t speak for hours, but James enjoyed every word they shared when they did.

When the news about him still being alive became public knowledge, James realized he couldn’t keep hiding in Godric’s Hollow. James finally met Ginny’s family. The Weasleys were a loud bunch, and Molly was overbearing to the point where she made Ginny and James uncomfortable.

She questioned everything Ginny did.

The food Ginny prepared wasn’t like the food Molly cooked.

Ginny wasn’t taking care of the baby well.

Ginny’s cleaning charms weren’t strong enough.

Ginny, Ginny, Ginny. If James heard another ‘Ginny’ leave Molly’s lips, he was going to end up insane.

When Jamie started fussing while George played with him, Molly stood up to take the baby from his uncle and began scolding George and Ginny for not taking care of the baby. James found himself moving faster than her and took the baby first.

“Don’t worry Molly, the baby is probably tired. He’s not used to so many people in the house. Maybe it’s time to let him sleep,”

James turned around and found Ginny smirking at him. He winked at her and took Jamie upstairs.

By the time the baby fell asleep, everyone had already left. He found Ginny in the kitchen drinking a glass of red wine. In silence, she offered a glass to him, and he accepted it wordlessly, choosing not to bring up the tears he noticed on her face.

After a couple of glasses of wine, she opened up a bit more to him. Ginny talked about her insecurities about being a mom, and about how her own mother made her feel. James felt the need to be close to her while she aired her feelings, and moved the chair close to hers. Ginny reached out to his hand and grabbed it.

“You’re a wonderful mother, Ginny. I see it every day. Molly isn’t here to see everything you do for Jamie, Harry, and me. I’m proud of you and you should be too,” James told her and squeezed her hand, reassuring her.

He mentioned nothing about how Molly’s words from earlier pained him—not for himself, but for her.

Harry arrived home from his mission a couple of days later. The relationship between Harry and James, if you could call that a relationship, was awkward as best.

One night, James asked him to sit down and talk. Harry confessed how when James had reappeared, he was mad at him. His mother had died and his father was now in the future, alive and well, while he had gone through so many hardships growing up without either of them. Harry mentioned how Hermione had made him see reason and stop blaming James for not being there. In the end, it was a situation out of everyone's control.

They both agreed to try their best. Even if they never developed a father-son relationship because of their now borderline awkward closeness in age, it couldn’t mean they weren’t able to have a friendship or maybe even a brotherly relationship. However, it was hard for them to create a relationship when Harry was away all the time and barely spent any time at home.

Ginny and James got closer. They worked well together, to where James could anticipate Ginny’s needs before she voiced them. They had settled into this dance after a couple of months of doing so, and it had created a deep connection between them. James enjoyed their friendship—it made him happy. After losing his entire life, Ginny became a beacon of light in the darkness that had clouded his life for so long.

Neither of them mentioned the night they spent together. James still wanted to apologise, but he didn’t want her to have to relive that night. The memories of Ginny’s reactions were vivid in James’s mind. He still felt guilty about them having sex thinking they were actually with another person while it was happening. The feeling was always present in his heart because he still loved Lily. He always will. It didn’t matter if she was dead for almost 20 years. For him, only a few months had passed since her death.

However, he couldn’t deny the way he cared about Ginny. Seeing her smile warmed his heart. More than a friendship would or should do. It made him feel as if he was cheating on Lily and betraying Harry. The more he learned about her, the more besotted he felt. The day he discovered she was a Chaser like him while she was in Hogwarts, he wanted to kiss her.

James was fucked.

He had a crush on his son’s wife.

The only solution he could think of was to distance himself from her, but it was impossible. For days, every time he tried to not spend time with her, she stormed into his bedroom looking for him and demanding him to go downstairs and eat with herself and Jamie.

James had suspicions about Ginny knowing what he was trying to do. He noticed how she was constantly staring at him while he kept averting his gaze. Ginny kept getting close to him. Making excuses to touch him more, causing the tension between them to keep growing more and more.

One night, after the baby and Harry went to bed, he found her in the kitchen reading the Quidditch Times with a glass of wine. He couldn’t stop his heart from skipping a beat when he saw her in her nightgown. So when she silently offered him a glass to join her, it was impossible for him to refuse. They drank wine in silence until she confessed how much she missed playing Quidditch and that she was offered an opportunity to attend a tryout for the Harpies. James excitedly encouraged her to follow her dreams. He offered his help with training and taking care of Jamie while she prepared. Ginny squealed in happiness and hugged him longer than a friendly hug should last.

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

In early summer, Ginny started training in secret. She and James talked about her decision to not tell Harry or her family about the tryouts. Their expectations of her caused her to feel insecure about the Harpies’ trial. James encouraged her every step of the way. Some days, they went together to practise. Well, it was more that Ginny practised while James was there supporting her while taking care of Jamie.

James knew their relationship was getting too close, too domestic. He felt guilty just for looking at her, but he couldn’t stop doing it.

When she was flying, she was unstoppable. Ginny glowed. She was really a ray of sunshine across the sky. She was fiery and powerful, and James condemned every person in her life who made her feel less than magnificent, less than perfect.

James looked at the skies searching for her with the baby in his arms, in a bit of panic because it had been a while since the last time he saw her. Then he heard her laughing behind him—a real laugh. Not the fake one he had grown to hate so much. This laugh made her glow and reached her eyes. It was the type of contagious laughter where everyone ends up laughing for no reason. That laugh made James want to kiss her even more.

At that precise moment, James Fleaumout Potter realised he was definitely in trouble.

James tried to stop thinking about her, but it was impossible. Ginny was James’ daughter-in-law and he shouldn’t think of her pink lips, wondering if they were the same pink tone as her nipples. As a solution, James went back to his plan of spending as little time as possible with her.

Creating distance with her was basically impossible. If James stayed in bed later than usual, Ginny didn’t even knock on the door, she just barged into the room and pushed him out of bed. Which only made him like her more. Ginny was like a raging storm—unbridled and unmanageable, consuming everything in her path, him included. She told him every time that he wasn’t allowed to despair and hide in his bedroom anymore… but she was the reason for his misery. His growing feelings for her, the desire to kiss her, and touch her, were a problem. But how James moaned her name while he stroked himself in the shower, thinking about her mouth and remembering her sweet taste, was a major issue he couldn’t stop himself from acting upon.

Ginny was a storm, but was also the sunshine that illuminated their home. Everyone could feel and breathe the happiness she radiated. Even Jamie was happier around her. It was as if he sensed his mom’s emotions.

Every day they laughed and talked about their Hogwarts days, at least the happier ones. They became close friends—the type of intimate friends you could confess the darkest secrets to. He was aware he needed to avoid her, but her smile constantly drew him in. Ginny intoxicated James by her closeness, by her entire being. He couldn’t deny how he felt when her eyes were on him, lingering longer than they should. He couldn’t deny how happy he felt as her hugs and touches had become more frequent and longer. James couldn't take it anymore and gave in to his feelings.

Ginny was in a narky mood for a week. After the disaster of a dinner date that she had tried to set up for Harry’s birthday became ruined. Harry had disappeared for the entire evening and left Ginny waiting for him in the living room. James found her sleeping on the sofa with dried tears on her cheeks.

As Ginny’s birthday approached, it was the most excited James had felt in a long time. James hoped for alone time with her on her birthday, wanting time to give her the happiness she deserved. He tried his best to disguise his excitement when Harry mentioned a work trip, and how he was arriving later that day. They were all going to dinner at the Burrow, but in the morning he planned to make her a late breakfast and give her the gift he got her.

At the last minute, everything changed. They were having a wonderful breakfast while Ginny talked about the Harpies tryouts when they heard the Floo activating. Harry had arrived home from his work trip early and surprised her with her family, coming straight to Godric’s Hollow to celebrate Ginny’s birthday.

In an instant, Ginny was back to being the Ginny he met a few months ago, quiet and always avoiding his eyes. She quickly got busy cleaning the house and prepping food for her family, while Molly criticised everything she made. James took charge of taking care of the baby and helping as best as he could with cleaning the house. James missed the real Ginny, exasperated with the situation and the fact he didn’t get enough time with his Ginny. All he got was this shell of a person, and no matter what he did or said to bring his Ginny back, he couldn’t.

James sighed to himself at how pathetic he was being, thinking about Ginny as his. She was Harry’s wife and nothing could happen between them again .

By the end of the day, he was exhausted, and he knew she was too. The only good thing James got from this awful day was an open job offer from George to work for him at Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes when James felt ready to go back into the real world.

Later that night, after a much-needed shower, James went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, finding that Ginny was already there drinking her tea in the dark and had prepared a cup for him as well. James loved how they could communicate so much without saying a word. As he took the cup and sat by her side, he took a small rectangular velvet box from his pocket and put it on top of the table.

Ginny looked at the box, and looked at James back and forth a few times, trying to find the right words to say. “James…you didn’t have to get me anything.”

“I know,” he simply replied and pushed the velvet box closer to her, encouraging her to open it. The moment Ginny finally did, James saw how her eyes filled with tears. The gift was a necklace—a simple gold chain with a broom charm symbolising her success with the tryouts.

“You’re now a professional Quidditch player. You worked hard to make the team, and I’m so proud of you, Ginny,” James said to her and gave her a side hug, pressing a kiss on the top of her head before taking his cup of tea and heading to bed.

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

By the time Jamie’s first birthday arrived in early September, James couldn’t bear being close to Ginny anymore. Every time he closed his eyes, he could only see her bright eyes, full of tears of gratitude for the necklace he had given her. The worst part was the fact that even though he couldn’t handle being close to her, he missed her when he was alone in the house.

Ginny hosted Jamie’s birthday at their home instead of The Burrow as Harry wanted; she felt as if she could better control her meddling family, especially Molly, if she were in her own home. As expected, Molly couldn’t stop criticising everything Ginny did. Ginny’s breaking point arrived the moment Molly made a condescending comment about how underdeveloped Jamie was because he wasn’t walking yet. James looked at Harry, waiting for a response, and all Harry did was fucking shrug at him. Ginny’s face coloured to match her hair, and she exploded, releasing all the anger and emotions she had held inside for a months on end.

Molly tried to scream at her in response, but Ginny quickly cast a Silencio charm at her. This time, Harry attempted to step in, but one glance from Ginny made it clear he couldn’t interfere with her anger. Everyone hurried to leave the party after that. Even Harry came up with a silly excuse and left the house as well.

When they were alone, James took Ginny in his arms and hugged her. She cried as he stroked her hair. He knew how much Ginny needed a good cry to let go of the anger she had been building inside for years.

“Thanks James,” Ginny murmured in the crook of his neck.

Before James could respond, Jamie stood from the floor and started walking. Harry wasn’t there to see it, because he had left his son and his wife on his son's birthday rather than staying to calm his wife. James’ anger rose at his son’s callous behaviour. Ginny left his arms and immediately dropped to the floor to encourage the toddler to walk towards her. James watched how all the anger, sadness, and tears she had were forgotten the moment her son took his first steps. The only thing that mattered at that precise moment was her son and his happiness. She was laughing and smiling as Jamie made his way into her outstretched arms.

“This is all I need in my life. My son is enough for me,” Ginny said while hugging the toddler.

The room overflowed with joy and bliss. Her happiness was so contagious that James felt a warmth spreading through his chest. Ginny stood up from the floor.

“You’re doing such an amazing job, Ginny. You’re an amazing mother,” James said, hugging her and kissing the top of her head after she set Jamie down.

Ginny looked up at him. “Thanks,” came the soft response, barely a breath. He could help it anymore, grabbed her chin and kissed her. Initially surprised, Ginny quickly responded by kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer in order to deepen the kiss. They kissed with urgency and desire, but Jamie started fussing, causing them to break apart.

She looked at him with her big brown eyes and muttered, “I need to put Jamie to sleep,” before leaving the room.

Chapter Text

By the time James woke up over the next couple of days, Ginny and his grandson had already left the house.

Ginny was obviously avoiding him.

The loneliness he had experienced before was again creeping out into his heart. It seemed like grief was always present in James now. Always there…lurking in the shadows. James had good and bad days, of course but lately there were more bad than good. Therefore, he stayed in bed longer than usual, choosing to skip meals to avoid eating by himself.

Ginny’s actions were a reaction to their kiss. James knew it. Even if it was clear to him that Ginny had the right to react that way, it didn’t mean that he didn’t feel any less hurt by her avoidance.

She had kissed him back with the same eagerness he had given her. That could only mean she was as interested in him as he was in her.

James groaned. Even if it felt right, it was obvious that the kiss was wrong, and nothing could happen between them ever again. Of all the things James has done in his life, kissing his son’s wife must be one of the worst.

No, it wasn’t the worst. The way he desired her and the things they do in his dreams are definitely worse than a kiss.

But his dreams and desires didn’t matter, because at the end of the day, James was all by himself, wishing for what he could never have. Ginny wasn’t his and never will be, and Jamie was only his grandson.

The life he had was lost in the past and the one he was dreaming about was just that—a dream.

James groaned once more and finally got out of bed, ready to stop whining and waiting for something or someone that will never happen.

When he opened his bedroom door, he heard a commotion in the living room. Worried about what could be happening, he ran down the stairs wanting to check if Ginny and Jamie were okay, but halted once he reached the bottom.

The living room was a mess. All the picture frames that hung on the walls were on the floor, and there was glass everywhere.

Ginny was still wearing her Quidditch uniform, her hair in a ponytail. Her face was as red as her hair while she was screaming at Harry, who looked as if wanted to be swallowed by the sofa.

James couldn’t stop himself from being both afraid and aroused at how she looked in that moment..

“What the hell is wrong with you? Read the room, James,” he muttered to himself.

“You thought I ‘wouldn’t find out’?” Ginny screamed before throwing a hex at Harry. Her screams blending with Jamie’s as he cries, scared in a corner of the living room.

“For Merlin’s sake, can you calm down? You’re scaring the baby,” Harry responded, avoiding answering her question.

However, neither of them actually moved to check on the baby.

Ginny, blinded by her anger, continued throwing hexes and everything she could get her hands on at Harry, while Harry did nothing except to keep casting Protego in response.

James quietly walked towards the toddler to take him away from his parents’ spat. They were so focused on their fight and each other that they didn’t even notice James’ presence.

The instant James picked up Jamie from the floor, the toddler hugged him with love. James had missed him so much. Molly has been taking care of him since Ginny started her practices with the Harpies and he had barely spent any time with him in weeks. James carried the toddler up to his room and quickly cast a few charms on it to protect Jamie and to muffle most of the screaming. Shutting the door to the room, he took a seat at the top of the stairs to continue to listen to his son and Ginny’s fight.

Ginny angrily laughed at Harry and darkly replied, “Now you choose to care about your son. The last year doesn’t count then? But then again, of course you didn’t care when you were fucking and getting her pregnant. The friend who is supposed to be like a sister to you!?”

Harry didn’t reply, choosing to only groan into his hands while still sitting on the sofa, which was more broken than whole after all the hexes.

Ginny simply stood in silence, waiting for a reaction, an explanation…waiting for Harry to ask for forgiveness, but there was nothing.

James was stunned and in disbelief at what he had heard.

James chuckled. He couldn’t believe how insane the whole situation was. Harry cheated on Ginny with Hermione, and now Hermione was pregnant. It was insane to think about how he was going to be a grandfather for the second time at the age of 21, but James wasn’t mad or disappointed. Deep down, he felt relieved.

If Hermione was indeed pregnant with Harry’s baby, this could mean that he wouldn’t care if Ginny left him and started a relationship with someone else.

James wondered if Harry would care if this other person was James.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” James muttered to himself again.

After a few minutes of deafening silence, Harry finally spoke. “Ginny, what do you want me to tell you? What do you expect from me right now? Do you need me to ask for your forgiveness?”

Ginny stiffened in response to Harry’s words and whispered, “Nothing, Harry. I want nothing from you.”

James could hear the resignation in Ginny’s voice, and his heart ached for her. It was obvious how much pain this situation was causing her. Ginny loves Harry. There is no denying that fact, but he could not deny how the confirmation of Ginny’s feelings for Harry hurt him. Even as his heart ached with his unrequited crush, he needed to go to her and drag her out of the situation she was in.

Harry sighed, “I’m sorry Gin, I know I hurt you.” He stood up from the sofa and extended an arm, trying to reach out to Ginny to comfort her, but she slapped it away.

“Hurt me?? You humiliated me. I always suspected you didn’t love me, and you only married me because I was pregnant. Merlin forbid that the Boy Who Lived to have a child out of wedlock. But— but I thought we were at least friends. You should have been honest with me and told me what was happening. I should have heard it from you first, not The Prophet. You should have told me she was pregnant, and it was your baby,” Ginny said, tears running down her face.

“I love her, Gin. I— I know it isn’t fair to you, but I’ve always loved her. We kept our relationship a secret during Hogwarts. I didn’t want her to become a target. And—fuck — and after the war we broke up,” Harry said while running his hand through his hair, once again taking a seat on the sofa. “For a while we were on and off during our relationship, and Hermione, with all her logic, convinced me not to go public until we were sure of what we wanted. Us—,” he moved his hand and gestured between Ginny and himself, “happened during a drunken night after a huge fight. I don’t want to say it was a mistake, but sometimes I wished it never happened.”

Ginny gasped in shock and hurt at Harry’s words.

James couldn’t let him harm her anymore. He made his way downstairs and, doing his best to keep his calm, told Harry he needed to leave and continue the conversation later.

Clearly tired of fighting, Harry nodded in response and quickly left through the Floo. James closed the grate and approached Ginny. She was still standing in the same spot, in complete despair—frozen.

When he hugged her, everything seemed to finally hit her and she collapsed in his arms. They stood in the middle of the living room wrapped around each other with only the sound of her crying filling the room.

He stroked her back, comforting her the only way he could. When James felt her knees getting weak, he took her in his arms, cradling her body to his as he brought her to her bed.

It was still the middle of the day, but he knew Ginny needed to rest and be alone after that confrontation with Harry. With a quick move of his wand, the curtains of her room closed, the room becoming completely dark.

James kissed Ginny’s forehead and took down her ponytail, told her she needed to relax, and that he would check on her after checking on Jamie.

She didn’t so much as blink in response, and James quietly left the room, leaving a piece of his heart with her.

The rest of the day passed in a blink of an eye while James was taking care of Jamie. The toddler didn’t understand what was happening between his parents, but all the screaming and fighting had made him fussier than usual and in turn, he cried most of the day.

Ginny was constantly in James’ thoughts and his heart ached for her. He felt for her and her pain over Harry’s confession. During the day, he tried to make her eat, or to change her clothes, but she barely blinked. It was as if Ginny was stunned, lying in bed without moving.

By the time evening arrived, James couldn’t stand to see her like that anymore. After putting the toddler into bed a bit earlier than usual, he went to her bedroom once more with a cup of tea and a few biscuits for her to eat.

He once more pleaded with her. “Ginny, please, let me help you. Let me at least help you take off the Quidditch kit, so you’re comfortable,” but she still didn’t stir or respond.

James thought his heart couldn’t take any more heartbreak, but when Ginny stared at him with dull brown eyes, all he wanted to do was take her away from everything and everyone. She didn’t deserve the life she was given. Ginny deserved to be cherished and worshipped.

He asked again if she wanted to change into her comfier clothes and this time she nodded slightly and started to take off her Quidditch kit. James handed her one of his shirts and turned to give her privacy. She snorted but said nothing and simply went back to bed when she was done changing.

James put her tea under a stasis charm on the bedside table, told her to get some more rest and that he’ll take care of Jamie. Giving her a quick peck on her forehead, he left the room.

It was the middle of the night when James cast a Tempus charm. He couldn’t stop thinking about everything that happened, so he was stuck laying in bed looking at the ceiling in disbelief, unable to sleep.

Harry had cheated on Ginny. He cheated on one of the most amazing, beautiful, and perfect women he had ever met.

After their unexpected kiss, James couldn’t stop thinking about how her lips felt on his, how her breath had hitched every time he touched her the night he arrived and ended up in her bed. His fingers were touching his lips, reminiscing about their kisses and yearning for her.

For a brief second—or perhaps weeks—he had thought Ginny felt the same way as him, but he was mistaken. After her fight with Harry, she was clearly heartbroken, barely existing. It was obvious she didn’t feel the same way as him. James had to stop thinking about her in this way.

Harry had cheated, yes, but that’s not a valid reason nor a sign of permission to go after Ginny. Maybe all his feelings were simply lust after all.

Is that what it was? Pure desire and longing for her?

It was simply because James felt lonely. He had been feeling that way before he time-travelled, and the last few days without Ginny and James, had turned his loneliness into full-blown desolation. His feelings of despondency and his overwhelming lust for his daughter-in-law were unbearable and had to stop.

Next day went exactly the same, but taking care of Jamie was getting harder. He missed his mom terribly, but Ginny still was in a semi-catatonic state. James couldn’t let her rot away in her bed any longer. That’s why, by the time dinner rolled around, he went to her bedroom, turned on the lights and opened the curtains just enough to let the moonlight enter through the window.

Ginny groaned and turned her body away from the light, burrowing further under the covers.

James had ordered food from an Italian restaurant he knew she loved and set up an area on the floor for him and Jamie to eat together, leaving her food under stasis. Thankfully, the toddler behaved better with his mom’s proximity and they enjoyed the meal in peace.

From the corner of his eye, James saw her sitting up in bed looking at their impromptu picnic and smelling the food, but he mentioned nothing about the way she was acting and waited for her to make the first move.

He bit his lower lip, trying his best to not laugh at Ginny, who looked like a scared mouse looking for food. James didn’t even try to talk with her when she sat down on the floor with them to tuck into her meal, choosing instead to eat in silence.

After dinner, Ginny went straight to the bathroom, and he heard the shower. James sighed in relief. She had gotten up, eaten something and was now taking a shower. Those were very good signs.

“Come with me, Jamie. Let’s give your mum space,” James told the toddler after cleaning up and, in response, Jamie chose to run out of the bedroom, giggling as he went.

Around an hour later, James came back to the bedroom to check on Ginny. She was already in bed and appeared to be sleeping. He quickly checked on her, closed the curtains, turned off the light and as he was closing the door, she called out to him.

“James, please stay. I— I don’t want to be alone. Can you please stay with me tonight?”

James debated his decision for a second, but Ginny had stayed with him in his darker times and in that moment, she needed him. There wasn’t an actual decision to make in that moment when she was the only woman who mattered the most in his life at the moment. He entered the room again and got into bed with her without hesitation.

When he first joined her in bed, James chose to maintain his distance, and lay on top of the sheets instead. But after Ginny kept complaining about not being able to move around comfortably, he caved and got under the sheets with her.

Ginny was on her side with her back turned to him. Seeking closeness, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her until they were cuddled together. Ginny was only wearing a cropped shirt and was holding his hand flat on her naked belly.

“Thank you for this—for staying here with me,” Ginny whispered.

James shushed her and stroked her belly while whispering in her ear that it was no problem to support her and everything was going to be okay. Since that first night he arrived, they haven’t crossed the line. Even when their hugs started to last longer than they are supposed to, or when they looked for every flimsy excuse to touch each other, they hadn’t gone any farther. It was an unspoken arrangement that was half broken the night of their kiss. But while both were in bed together, their bodies touching, it was like their arrangement had never existed.

His eyes were closed and it made him hyper-aware of the fact that Ginny was caressing his hand, and the moment her touches changed, he noticed it.

Ginny started to push his hand down her stomach. James pulled his hand from her hold and gently grabbed her wrist. “Ginny—” he warned.

“Please, James. Please. Make me feel better. Just this one time, please,” Ginny pleaded, and James’ willpower crumbled at her pleading tone. Even if it was only one time, James would make the most of their night together.

He kissed her shoulder and released her wrist. She moved her hand to his hip, grabbing him and grinding their hips together. James went up to her neck and began to kiss and suck the tender skin there.

She moaned in response.

“You’re,” kiss, “so beautiful,” kiss, “Ginny.”

She was rubbing her arse on him and James ran his fingers down her side, while sliding his other arm under her to grab her breast.

Ginny let go of a breathy moan when James thrust and ground his erection against her. He grabbed her hips with his free hand, rolling them to meet his own while continuing to pinch her nipple. James buried his face in her neck once more and kissed her.

“James… Oh… Merlin, please,” Ginny murmured.

“Sunshine, please tell me what you need. I will give you anything you want,” he replied while stripping them both of their remaining clothes.

“What I need is you inside me,” she whined, taking his cock in her hand and beginning to pump it. James slowly moved one of his hands down her body to in between her legs. She threw her head back in response to his questing fingers.

He groaned, “You’re so wet… fuck,” unable to help himself from drawing lazy circles over and around her clit.

Unable to hold off any longer, Ginny lined up James’ cock at her entrance and as he pushed inside her, they both shivered at the feeling. They quickly built a punishing pace together. It felt natural—as if their bodies had always recognised each other.

All of the feelings James had worked to suppress flooded out of him at that moment.

Every minute they spent together.

How he witnessed the amazing mother she was.

James was completely, utterly smitten by her.

She let out a louder moan as James returned to peppering kisses along her shoulder until he was able to suck the sensitive skin behind her ear, adding more love bites to her skin. He needed to mark her as his.

“James,” Ginny whined.

“Gin, I’ve wanted this for so long. I needed to feel you again. You have no idea how much,” James said, kissing her until they were both breathless.

“I know, James, I know. Me too… fuck James, you feel so good. Your cock is so… fuck… James, harder,” Ginny sobbeded and James couldn’t help but please her, increasing his pace, making her take him deeper. She moaned loudly and he felt how her walls were clenching more insistently around his cock.

“Yes, Sunshine, come… Come in my cock.” His words, paired with his fingers moving unrelentingly over her clit, Ginny reached her climax.

James was getting close. “Gin—”

She needed no more explanation and whimpered, “Inside. I need you to come inside.” James gave her one last powerful thrust and spilled himself inside her.

They stayed in that same position, wrapped around each other, catching their breath as the minutes passed, basking in the afterglow. James hugged her tighter and for a brief second, he was the happiest man in the world.

Until he remembered Ginny was not his, and this was for one night only.

Eventually, he withdrew from her, exhaling as he settled into the bed as she went to the bathroom to clean up. While she was there, James fell asleep.

The next morning, he woke up alone in bed.

As he made his way downstairs, the scent of the food Ginny was making in the kitchen hit James, making his mouth water. When he entered the kitchen, she was standing in front of the stove making breakfast, giving him her back while singing a modern muggle song James didn’t recognise. James stood at the kitchen entrance, observing her in silence.

She looked happier than before. Her hair looked brighter than it had been in weeks. Her smile was wider and every time she did, she glowed.

James coughed, and Ginny flinched, causing James to smile. “I’m sorry Gin, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

He got closer to her and admired her—Ginny was beautiful, with her long fiery red hair, and the thousands of freckles that James wanted to kiss all the time. She was wearing a strappy top without a bra, and her wonderful legs were left bare due to her short pyjama pants. All the training for the Harpies had caused Ginny’s body to change, and it was noticeable. Her best assets were definitely her toned legs…James couldn’t help but admire them.

Ginny moved then, clearly noticing James’ gaze examining her, and covered herself with her robe that had been draped over one of the chairs. “It’s okay,” she said with a dismissive gesture, doing her best to ignore his gaze.

“Anyway…good morning, James. Did you sleep well?”

He nodded and kept his eyes on her. Ginny looked straight into his eyes after it registered he hadn’t answered her verbally, her gaze lowering to James’ lips for a fraction of a second before quickly avoiding James’ eyes once more.

Ginny’s reaction made it clear to him that everything that happened the night before was a one-time thing. Like the first time, this too, was a mistake to never mention again.

“James,” Ginny said, but before she could continue, James replied, “It’s okay Ginny, um… I want to apologise. You’re going through a hard time and I should’ve behaved better than I did.”

She did nothing but stare at him while James rambled for a few minutes about the events from the night before. Eventually, it seemed as though she had had enough.

“Are you daft? James… really. Can you please stop speaking for me and my feelings? I wanted last night to happen. I still do,” she interrupted.

He was too stunned to formulate a response and ended up replying with half-words and incoherent sentences.

Ginny laughed at him. James has missed her laugh—he truly did not know how much he loved to hear her do it, even if it was at his expense.

“I know my reaction to everything that has happened with Harry could say otherwise, but it wasn’t heartbreak. I’m humiliated and angry at him. James, the things he said to me… I know he never loved me, but I’m still the mother of his son and—”

Before Ginny could continue, James went to her and hugged her to him, telling her, “I know, Sunshine, I know. And I’ll have a conversation with him. The best thing for Jamie is that you try to have a good relationship in the future, but you’re allowed to feel this way. I just thought differently. I need to ask you, Ginny, do you love him?”

Ginny shook her head, and James felt relieved. He wanted to kiss her—badly, but there were a lot of things left to be said and she was still married.

As if she could read his mind, she made the decision for him, grabbed his face and kissed him.

Every time they kissed, it felt different.

The first time felt like the yearning they had for their spouses.

The second was the realization of everything they could have if their circumstances were different.

The third was anger.

But this time was different. James couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but he felt it.

They deepened the kiss simultaneously, and Ginny jumped on the countertop, dragging James with her as she did so.

He whispered how beautiful she was against her mouth, and she moaned in response. Ginny ducked her head to kiss and suck at the skin of his neck. James groaned, and moved his hand under her shirt, looking at her for permission.

Ginny nodded enthusiastically, and James lifted the shirt from her body, exposing her breasts before taking a nipple into his mouth. She was frantic on the countertop—rolling her hips to grind her core against his erection, seeking friction. He kept kissing, sucking, and nibbling at her chest, paying each of her nipples equal attention.

Ginny grabbed his hair, brought his head up to be close to hers and murmured, “James, since the day you appeared, I can’t stop thinking about that night. Last night wasn’t enough. So please, I beg you…stop teasing me and fuck me.”

James smirked at her and replied, “I will, just not now because I want to taste you again and need you to come in my face.” He yanked her shorts off and lowered himself in between her legs. “You’re so wet,” he groaned as he teased her softly, stroking her clit with his middle finger.

Ginny was gasping and pleading from her place on the countertop above him. James kissed her inner thighs, trailing his way until he reached her cunt and lightly sucked her clit. She tasted just like he remembered—just like he imagined sunshine tasted like. Ginny was begging him for a release, but James couldn’t get enough. He wanted to bask in her scent, drown in her wetness. Right now, he was a man stuck in the desert and Ginny was the water he needed.

James slipped a finger inside her while mercilessly licking her clit. She intertwined her fingers in his dishevelled hair, making him move at the pace she wanted. James looked up, making eye contact with her as she was losing control and listened as she begged, “James, more, give me more.” He instantly did as she asked, shoving a second finger inside her along the first, pumping faster. James felt her walls clenching at his fingers as she came.

Without wasting any second, James stood up from the floor and kissed her, pushing his trousers down just enough so he could thrust himself into her. She moaned louder and crossed her legs around his waist, locking him in between her legs and burying him deeper. Ginny was still riding the high of her previous orgasm while the second one hit her quickly. “Fuck, you’re coming again, Sunshine. Fuck, you feel so good. Look at me and come on my cock, love.” James pleaded with Ginny, while thrusting into her at a frantic pace.

They were so focused on themselves that neither of them heard when the Floo activated and Harry’s voice called out for them. Not until he screamed, “What the bloody hell!?”

James stopped mid-thrust and hugged Ginny to him, covering her naked body.

Ginny squealed and screamed back to Harry, “What are you doing here!? I thought James had closed the Floo?”

Harry was in shock and could only open and close his mouth, trying to formulate words. James took a deep breath, trying his best not to panic, but just as he was about to speak, Harry finally said, “Dad, before you say anything, remember that you’re still naked and inside my wife. I better leave and wait in the living room.”

James was horrified, while Ginny was giggling.

“Have you lost your mind, witch?”

She shook her head, saying nothing, her giggles continuing.

James couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction.

They got dressed quickly, and James took her hand to guide her to the living room. Harry quickly asked them how long they had been sleeping together. They simply replied that it was recent, only from the night before. Harry narrowed his eyes in disbelief, and they quickly decided to be honest.

Ginny explained to Harry what happened the night James’ time travelled, and how they thought they were each other’s spouses. Harry nodded and apologised for all the things he said and for being absent in Jamie’s life. In the end, Ginny and Jamie were not at fault for Harry’s mistakes, and he promised to do better.

Ginny and Harry talked for a few hours while James listened in silence.

“Ginny, you can stay here as long as you want—this is the home the Potter’s inherit and since you two are a thing now, it makes sense you continue to live here,” Harry said to them. Before James could say anything, Ginny jumped in quickly to reply, “Harry, James and I aren’t a thing. You and I are still married, and James and I are… we’re only having fun.”

James felt a pang of hurt in his heart, but looked at them, smiled and nodded. They haven’t had time to discuss anything about their relationship, but Ginny told him she wanted him. Maybe it wasn’t serious. Like she just said, they were only having fun.

His mind was running a thousand scenarios, and he froze while sitting on the sofa. It wasn’t until Ginny touched his arm that his mind stopped and he realised Harry had already left. Ginny asked if he was ok. He nodded, but couldn’t bring himself to look at her.

“James, please look at me. We need to talk about us,” Ginny begged him.

“Ginny, you already said everything we need to talk about. We’re having fun and that’s it. I already have a job offer and a possible place to live. I’ll stay out of your way until I can move,” James said, but with every word, his voice lowered in volume, dropping off to barely a whisper by the end.

“James, please. Try to understand me. For almost two years, my life revolved around a person who didn’t love me or respect me.”

James opened his mouth to tell her everything he was feeling, even if he couldn’t admit it until now, but Ginny put her finger against his lips and continued, “you lost your wife recently. Even if it happened 20 years ago…for you, it was less than a year ago. The same way I need to find myself outside of a relationship, you need to do the same. I’m the person who has been with you the whole time, the same way you have been there for me, James. I— We need to know if what we are feeling right now is real or if it is loneliness in disguise.”

He reached for her cheek, tilting her head up slightly and softly kissing her lips. “Sunshine, even if it hurts, I can’t deny what you’re saying is true. I’m asking for only one thing: please don’t take away Jamie from me and anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask me.”

“That’s actually two things, James,” Ginny said, smirking at him.

“Cheeky witch,” James replied, smiling while he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and turned to take the first step towards his new life.

Chapter Text

After the morning that Ginny and James parted ways,James’ life changed once again.

He accepted George’s job offer and moved into the empty flat above the shop. After the war, George couldn’t live there without Fred—the flat remaining unoccupied since then.

The first month was the hardest. James, finally alone by himself in this flat for the first time during this whole ordeal, was unbearable. His whole life, he had someone to rely on—his parents, friends, wife, and then Ginny. He had created a life…a routine based on the company of others, only to lose everyone again and again.

However, James knew Ginny was right.

Waking up every day in an empty flat was dragging James back into a dark place but he couldn’t avoid his pain any longer. He needed to stop using people as a buffer while ignoring his grief.

For weeks, he felt like he truly allowed himself to mourn his family. Alone in this solitary flat, he cried himself to sleep while mourning Lily, Sirius and Remus. He allowed himself to feel angry at Peter’s betrayal and not being there for Lily when she needed him most.

He felt as lonely as he had in the previous months when the pain and guilt had consumed him. Only this time, the wizard was truly alone. They weren’t living together anymore, and he couldn’t rely on her to bring him out of his dark mood. Every single night, he missed her. Ginny—the person who became his friend, his person—had left him too and he missed her. He couldn’t stop thinking about all the ways a relationship between them could work if she hadn’t pushed him away. Deep down, he knew she needed the distance, but he felt angry at her for abandoning him. Thus, James felt himself grieving her absence, too.

Having nothing else to do, James poured himself into his work with George. The way the wizard and his brain worked impressed him every day. Through George, James saw everything that was missing in his life. A fulfilling career, and a sense of purpose. Going back to being an Auror wasn’t an option anymore. If he planned to keep working with George, he needed to pull his weight and match George’s skills.

Every single waking hour, James was either studying charms and potions, or experimenting with creating new products. Slowly, he fell into a new routine—one that helped him to feel useful and made it so he would be able to stop drowning in his pain.

The grief was always present in his heart, but as the weeks passed, it felt lighter and manageable. It was at that point when James finally felt could enjoy his life as a 21 year old man. He was meeting new people and opening himself for new friendships. Regardless, each night it was Ginny who occupied his thoughts and dreams.

There were days in which the grief hit him harder, but that’s how grief works. The moment a person felt even a little happy, it hit you hard with guilt. With time, James began to recognise the signs. He saw them in George, too. No matter how much time had passed since his twin brother’s death, he mourned. Little by little, they learned to help each other.

As the holidays came closer, James felt ready to connect with his son again.

He wanted to salvage what was left of their relationship. When James reached out to Harry, James was surprised that he agreed to meet at James’ flat. But both knew they needed to keep their conversation out of The Prophet.

The meeting was as awkward as the other conversations between them, but they agreed to be honest with each other. James and Harry wanted the same thing—to be part of each other’s lives. Both acknowledged that, for Jamie’s sake, they had to work in their relationship.

Harry admitted how ashamed he felt of the way he treated Ginny and how his now ex-wife and his son deserved better. He had tried for months to fix things with Ginny, attempting to get close to her, and be there for his son, but Ginny hadn’t allowed it.

James stared at him in silence for a couple of minutes, trying to disguise his anger. There wasn’t a good way to express exactly how furious he felt with Harry. For the way he treated Ginny and how absent he was in Jamie’s life.

Of course, Harry should feel ashamed. He was attempting to do the bare minimum.

“I could never treat my son the way you’ve treated yours,” James muttered to himself.

Harry unfortunately heard what James said and lowered his head.

James noticed, and he realised he was treating Harry exactly the same, or worse. He wasn’t the dad thought he was. The father Harry knew when he was a baby was the father who ‘died’ during the First Wizarding War. This person who was in front of Harry was a stranger who had judged him from the beginning. Harry wasn’t a baby anymore, and he needed guidance in his life, not judgment and criticism by another person, much less by his own father.

James sighed, defeated. He couldn’t allow his feelings for Ginny to get in the way of his relationship with his son and future granddaughter.

“Harry, about Ginny…give her time. She needs it to finally heal. We all do, even you and Hermione. This whole situation was messy for everyone involved. Right now, the most important thing isn’t Ginny’s forgiveness, but your son. You need to take care of him. Jamie deserves to have his dad involved and present in his life. It doesn’t matter what type of relationship you have or don’t have with Ginny. It is not fair to him. If you don’t work on it and change, he’s going to grow up resenting you. The same way you resent me.”

Harry looked at him, eyes wide with shock at James’ words; those green eyes that still haunt James’ dreams and go straight to his heart. Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times, trying to find the words to reply until he simply said, “I’m sorry. I’m trying not to resent you. Doing my best not to be angry with you. All that happened…it’s not your fault. You appear here one day, and I just…” Harry shook and lowered his head, “Dad… fuck… I’m sorry. I really am.”

James stood from the table with tears in his eyes, and took a few steps until he was in front of Harry and hugged him. “I love you, son. I promise I’ll do better.” Harry nodded and promised the same.

Even though James hadn’t talked with Ginny in weeks, he couldn’t stop himself from buying Ginny and his grandson Christmas gifts. For her, a gold bracelet with her and Jamie’s birthstones, and for Jamie, he bought him a toddler broom. He felt excited when Christmas Eve finally arrived and he sent the gifts to Ginny and James. Maybe this was his opportunity to connect with Ginny again. He missed his friend.

The next day, he received a thank you note from her that read,

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

That night, James got drunk.

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

On the first anniversary of the day James’ time travelled, he took the day off work, planning to drink his weight in firewhisky alone in his flat instead.

Then he saw her owl in his window. James was so excited that he fell from the sofa trying to get the letter as fast as possible.

Ginny had finally reached out to James.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Without hesitation, James quickly replied to Ginny’s letter.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

All he desired was to spend time with Ginny and Jamie, but maybe Ginny still wasn’t open to something more.

His heart ached for her, and the distance she asked for many months ago has been unbearable, but he’d wait as long as she needed. Meanwhile, he couldn’t wait to see Jamie again and spend as much time as he could with his grandson.

On Saturday of that same week, Ginny dropped the toddler in the shop for a visit. James took the afternoon off and they went to Fortescue’s.

It was impressive just how fast a child grows in a short time.

After that first play date with the toddler, those play dates with Jamie became more frequent. James even offered to take care of him when Ginny had to travel for work—which she gratefully accepted, mentioning multiple times how much she trusted him with her son.

Ginny avoided meeting directly with him and used the shop as a drop-off place for Jamie, with their only form of communication being the letters they left inside of Jamie’s bags. It didn’t matter how much distance, or how brief contact they had, his feelings were there…still real. Ginny was right, he needed to have a life without her. James had learned how to be by himself and he was content with the life he had, but he wanted more.

James knew his relationship with Ginny was fragile, but he needed to help Harry mend his relationship with Jamie. He didn’t know if it was going to work, but he had to try, and he finally sent a letter to Ginny asking for permission to allow Harry to spend time with his son. Ginny agreed, but only if James was always present.

That’s how the three generations of Potters began to spend time together every week.

•☽────✧˖°˖☆˖°˖✧────☾•

Working at the shop was like having a different adventure every day.

Creating magic and happiness with George filled James’ heart. Between his work, the occasional night out with George, Lee and Angelina, and spending time with Jamie, James felt happier and like he had a purpose.

One night they were working late on a new product when suddenly George asked, “What happened between you and Gin? You were spending every single hour of your day with her and when she finally got divorced, you moved out. Now you babysit Jamie a few times per week, but you're avoiding each other like the plague.”

James has been waiting for this question for a while. He chuckled and replied, “I’m guessing you asked her and she told you to fuck off. That’s why you’re asking me.”

George laughed and didn’t prod further. He was smart enough to understand they were both avoiding giving an answer, and he didn’t need to meddle in his sister’s life.

For his 22nd birthday, after a lot of George’s insistence, they went out to celebrate. Sneaky and meddlesome as George was, he took James to a Harpies game.

He was doing his best to pretend to be mad at George in front of Lee, Angelina, Charlie and Charlie’s boyfriend. He was a decent bloke named Theo, who works with Hermione in the Department of Mysteries.

He could only pretend to be mad for a few minutes, howver, because the moment he saw her in the air, his heart skipped a few beats.

This entire time, James hasn’t been to any of Ginny’s games. She had wanted time and space to heal and he had done his best to respect her wishes. His distance doesn't mean his feelings went away…he still loves her. He couldn’t stop if he tried. How could he? When she was the beacon of light in his life.

The entire match he only watched how Ginny played. Nothing else mattered. Voldemort could rise from the dead again and try to take control of the entire Wizarding World, but James wouldn’t stop watching her.

George gave him a side hug and whispered, “That bad, huh?” James couldn’t hide his feelings for her from his friend any longer and simply nodded. The red-haired wizard laughed and made an excuse to leave that James didn’t hear. All his senses were focused on watching Ginny fly.

George heaving left James alone with another red-haired wizard, but this one was much scarier. When James turned to Charlie, he was grinning looking at James’ scared face. Charlie let out a laugh at him and reminded James how scary Ginny could be. They shared a laugh and agreed.

After the game, the group waited outside of the team locker rooms for Ginny.

James saw her before she saw them, distracted from talking with her teammates. Before the match, he hadn’t seen her since the day he moved from Godric's Hollow. He thought it wasn’t possible, but there she was in front of him…positively glowing, happier and more stunning than ever. He also noticed she was wearing the bracelet and the necklace he gave her, and his heart warmed.

It was remarkable how much a person can change when they put themselves first.

George called out her, and James enjoyed how her face lit up the moment she noticed him and they locked eyes for the first time in a long time. James smiled at her. He had missed her more than he thought. Ginny quickly said her goodbyes to her teammates and ran towards them.

She hugged her brothers first and greeted everyone else, leaving James for last. Unexpectedly, Ginny hugged him. The action took him by surprise, but he quickly returned her embrace.

Still wrapped in a tight hug, he whispered in her ear, “Congratulations, Sunshine. When you’re on that broom, you’re unstoppable.” He felt her smile pressed to his shoulder. “I regret it took me so long to come to one of your games.”

In response, she hugged him harder and whispered, “You’re here now and that’s the only thing that matters. I hope you enjoyed my birthday gift.”

“The seats?”

“Yes, happy birthday, love.”

He lifted her off her feet and twirled a few times. They both couldn't stop their laughter at the unexpected action.

Ginny invited them all to a Muggle pub that she and a few Muggleborn teammates go to every time they are in the city. It’s the perfect place to celebrate their wins and hide from nosey reporters.

They were having the time of their lives. Ginny and James have been dancing the entire night. Getting closer with each song, until their bodies were grinding against each other.

James felt like he needed to calm himself down a little and told her he was getting drinks for them. He knew it was a weak excuse, but he didn’t want her to get the wrong impression.

Ginny saw through James’ excuse and went after him to drag him into the loo. She cast a Muffliato and Notice-Me-Not and quickly pushed him up against the wall.

James grabbed her by the waist and kissed her. There wasn’t any gentleness in their kiss—only pure desire and yearning. She jumped up and crossed her legs around his waist and James wasted no time turning them, putting her against the wall. He devoured her lips, and she circled her hips, looking for friction.

“James, please. I need you,” Ginny pleaded, and James’ knees went weak in response to her begging so beautifully.

“Gin, love…fuck, I miss you. But we shouldn’t. Not here—” Ginny interrupted him by biting and sucking his neck hard.

James continued, “Sunshine, please. Look at me. I know we both know how we feel about each other, but there’s too much to talk about before we get involved again. I want to do this right this time.”

Ginny whined in protest, but nodded in agreement.

They came out of the loo and went back to the table, not even trying to hide what happened, and everyone at the table grinned at the pair.

Later on, after saying their goodbyes and George telling them “good morning” with a wide grin on his face, they quickly apparated to James’ flat.

Once they arrived, James immediately went to his potion cabinet looking for two sober-up potions. Ginny moved into the kitchen and prepared two cups of tea. It felt as if they hadn’t spent months apart, sitting at the table drinking their tea in silence in the middle of the night.

James didn’t want to break the night’s magic by talking. At some point, they needed to do it, but he was afraid to ask for more than she was willing to give him. The silence made him feel safe and allowed him to avoid the grim reality his mind was painting.

Without saying anything, Ginny stood up from the table once their tea was finished, grabbed his hand, and guided him into the bedroom. James let her, just as he would let her do anything else she wanted with him.

“It’s late. Let’s better go to bed and we can talk tomorrow. We have been postponing this conversation for so long. It can wait until morning,” she whispered.

Ginny moved them to the front of the dresser and slowly took off his shirt, softly kissed his chest before taking hers off as well. In complete silence, they changed out of their clothing and got into bed. She moved closer to him, hugging him around his middle before laying her head on his shoulder.

The heat of Ginny’s body relaxed James, and he closed his eyes, focusing only on how her breathing felt through his shirt. He missed seeing her every day, waking up and being in the same house as her. Unconsciously, he traced his fingers up and down her spine. At the same time, Ginny drew circles on his chest, moving her hand up until it reached his neck and she was able to intertwine her fingers with his hair.

When he opened his eyes, the room was dark and the only source of light they had was the moonlight that came through the window and reached the bed. Even so, he could see a mischievous glow in Ginny’s eyes.

Simultaneously, they moved closer to each other until their lips touched. One of his hands grabbed her by her waist while the other cupped her neck and pushed his lips into hers. Ginny gave in to the kiss faster than James expected, and he felt how she melted in his arms in a way that reminded him of the first time he had kissed her. He growled, deepening the kiss, placing her against the bed before moving his body to press on top of her. They were kissing frantically and passionately, trying to make up for lost time.

Ginny moaned into his mouth and James’ body reacted like a reflex, pushing his erection into Ginny. “We should stop,” they both said at the same time and they shared a quiet chuckle. They kissed sweetly one last time and fell asleep with their bodies entangled with each other.

The next day, when James woke up early in the morning with Ginny beside him, he couldn't believe it was real and that it wasn’t all a dream. Ginny was still asleep when James began tracing along her thigh up to her hip, up and down on repeat. He needed the reassurance that it really was real.

Ginny sleepily murmured, “Good morning, James.” She turned around to face him, smiling the whole time. James had never seen that smile before. Her eyes still had the same sparkle he saw the night before. She grabbed James by his face and captured his lips.

“Good morning, Sunshine,” James replied after they broke apart.

Ginny’s eyebrows furrow. “Do you remember the first night you called me Sunshine? Did you used to—” and before she continued, James interrupted her, “No, never. That night was the first time I used it and became yours. Do you want me to stop using it?”

She shook her head.

The moment James was going to kiss her once more, her stomach growled, and she threw her head back to the pillow, groaning, and loudly said, “Breakfast?”

James smilingly agreed.

Once they made their way to the kitchen, they immediately started making breakfast together, and talking as if nothing had happened…as if they hadn’t spent the last few months apart.

James suddenly stopped in the middle of the kitchen to appreciate the domesticity they had and how he had missed it so much.

Ginny noticed and stared at him questioningly. “Is everything ok?” she asked.

James smiled and replied to her matter of factly. “I love you. For so long, I have been in love with you and I don’t want to wait any longer to say it.”

Ginny’s eyes filled with tears, but she had the biggest smile he had ever seen on her. “I love you too, James. Is it insane to feel this way about each other?”

James shook his head and started walking towards her. He grabbed her chin and moved it up, making her look at him. “Continuing to deny what we feel is what is truly insane, Ginny. I love you and I want to be part of your life in any way you have me.”

“I want you in all the ways humanly possible, James,” Ginny replied and kissed him.

James couldn’t believe that one of the worst mistakes of his life had given him so much happiness.

Yes, there was a lot to talk about and work on—together and individually. But if anyone can do it, it would be them. They met at the darkest times of their lives and created a wonderful friendship that led them to this moment: being deeply in love with each other.

James couldn't wait to share the rest of his life with her.

•☽────✧˖°˖FIN˖°˖✧────☾•