I woke up today in a cranky mood. I knew that it would carry on through the day. I was in my “Lily’s-gone-completely-haywire-and-I-don’t-think-thay-you-should-leave-Harry-alone-in-the-house-with-her” mood as Sirius calls it. When he said that this morning, I scowled at him, but James chuckled. “I think that Harry should be left alone with her today. That kid owns the key to her heart. She’ll be cheery in no time.” James is right.
I was still in a fuming mood after breakfast and I didn’t even know why. But that would soon change.
“Muv,” said one-year-old Harry, who had just toddled into the room. He was sucking his thumb, and carrying his blanket. “Up, Muv, up!” he cried, stretching his arms towards me. My heart melted as I picked him up and tickled him. He screamed with mirth.
“How’s my baby boy today? Hm?” I said, laughing. “How is little Harry on his birthday morning?” I tickled him until his face turned red, his green eyes welling with tears. I sat him down on the rug where he began playing with the cat, Kissafur. James named her. Not me. Who else would have thought of a name like Kissafur?
“Hiya, Kissyfurs!” said Harry as he stroked her fur. I sighed. My Harry was precious. And he turned one year old today.
“Are you ready for your birthday party, Harry? Mummy made you a big cake! You like cake, don’t you Harry?” I teased, picking him up again.
“Cay?” said Harry, his emerald eyes staring up at me in wonder. “Muv make cay?”
“Yes, silly goose! Mummy made you a special birthday cake. Daddy, Peter, Sirius and Remus are coming along too!” I gave him a big kiss. “How about that, hunny?”
Harry clapped. “Yay! Siri and Reemsh! Siri and Reemsh!” I laughed and kissed him again. We all got a big kick out of what he called Sirius and Remus. I picked him up and went to the kitchen to get him some lunch.
“What does the birthday boy want for lunch today?” I asked him.
“CAY!” screamed Harry, pointing to the big chocolate cake I had on the counter.
I laughed. “No, Cake is for after dinner, when Sirius, Peter and Remus get here!”
“SIRI! REEMSH! CAY!” Harry clapped his hands and bounced up and down in my arms, wriggling around and kicking his legs. I laughed and tightened my grip on him.
“How about a peanut butter and jam sandwich, Harry? D’you want some PB&J?”
“P B J!” screamed Harry. I fixed him the sandwich and sat him down in his high chair. I cut the sandwich in small pieces and handed them to him. “Yum...” he said, smacking his lips as he ate his favourite sandwich. He stared at me, and then at the sandwich with a look of concentration on his face. “Muv have some.”
He held his sandwich out to me. I took a bite ad licked my lips. “Why, thank you Harry. That was yummy.” Harry hurrah-ed himself and continued eating his lunch. I stared at the baby who looked just like James; The messy black hair, the nose, they way he chewed, the way he got angry... He was totally like James.
But he had my eyes. Emerald green and almond shaped. I thought about the future. I pictured myself packing him a PB&J sandwich for his first train ride to Hogwarts. I could see him passing his NEWTs with all Os, and throwing the Quaffle into a Quidditch Hoop for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. As I pictured the ball soaring towards the hoop, something smacked me in the face.
“MUV!” Harry screamed, aiming another slice of bread at my head. I wiped off his face, and picked him out of the high chair. He yawned slightly.
“How ‘bout we go have a nap? Then when we wake up, we can have the party.”
“What about Daddy?” Harry said innocently, his emerald orbs looking up at me. I smiled.
“Daddy too.”
“And Wormytails?”
“Yes, Peter too.”
“And Siri?”
“Yes,”
“And Reemsh?”
“Yes, Remus will come to the party too, Harry.”
He paused to think. He drew his eyebrows together in concentration.
“Wha’ ‘bout Kissyfurs?”
I laughed, and kissed him on the nose. “Yes, Harry. Kissafur can come to the party too.”
“Otay, Muv.” I layed him down in his crib, sang him a lullaby and closed the door, where he went to sleep.
I heard the door open downstairs. “Hello?” James called. I ran down the stairs.
“Hi, James!” I said, hugging him and giving him a kiss.
"You have peanut butter in you hair," he said. I laughed.
“Harry really holds the key to your heart, doesn’t he?” James chuckled.
“You were right James. He does.”
The Key to My Heart by James Jameson
Story Notes:
I originally wrote this as a drabble in a Hufflepuff drabble game. My prompts were: Harry, Lily and a Key.
Hope you enjoy!!
Chapter Endnotes: Hope you liked it! Im=n the meanwhile, check out my other fic, the Son of the Grim, which will soon be updated!!