My Dad, The Quidditch Coach

Part 1 - My Son, The Wizard

Author's Note: My first fic, have mercy <3

"Now, Harry, love, remember to do your homework, pay attention in classes-" Lily began, anxiously tugging his wollen hat further down over her boy's ears, her own flushed pink with the early morning chill. Her green eyes were searching his face, looking for anything that would justify her in snatching up her boy and going home, and letting him start at Hogwarts next year.

Yes. Maybe that would work, Lily thought. After all, maybe a year of muggle school would do him good. Maybe it would help him to keep a level head and not get swept away by all the magic and wonders of Hogwarts. Maybe-

"And have fun, and make lots of friends," James finished as he steered Harry's trolley towards the pair, parking it rather wonkily before swooping in to wrap an arm around Lily, pulling her to his side, smiling from ear to ear. He was still wearing his crumpled quidditch jersey that he'd slept in the night before, the hopeless man. He was a professional quidditch player and he still couldn't remember to wear clean clothes, or where to find his glasses even when they were on his head. Lily sighed, wrapping an arm around her husband's middle, finding comfort in his solid form as they both looked at their son. He was just so small. "Relax, Lils. He'll be fine. He's a big boy now," James reassured, as if reading her troubled mind.

"S'right," Harry agreed rather absently, distracted by the large owl eyeing him rather banefully from the birdcage sitting atop his suitcase. He shifted closer and lifted his hand as if to reach through the bars to touch it, then thought better of it. Then he thought a third time and decided to do it anyway. Just like his father.

"Oh, James," Lily sighed again upon spotting the bird. It returned her disapproving look. She'd never really liked owls. There was something so haughty and condescending about them. "I thought we agreed on a cat."

"He'll be able to send letters faster this way, if he doesn't have to use one of those old things they supply at Hogwarts," James wheedled, squeezing her, hazel eyes glinting in the pale sunlight. He was always so good at getting his way. Or maybe she was just a pushover for him.

Lily knew she was being unreasonable. Grumpy. A nag. But how could she help herself? Her son, her only son, her little baby, who just yesterday had been taking his first steps to greet his father at the door...

Off to Hogwarts. She hadn't come to terms with it, really. How could this be her boy, standing before her in his new robes, wand safely in his pocket, poking his fingers through the birdcage of his very first owl, trying to touch the downy white feathers, his green eyes sparkling with delight even as the bird screeched in warning? 

She had a sneaking suspicion she would go home and lie in bed for a very long time, pretending, just for herself, that she had just fed Harry and put him to bed, and he would be sleeping in the next room as he always had, and then maybe she would hear his tiny voice raise in a wail again, and she would-

"Mum?" Harry's voice. Not raised in a wail. Simply puzzled, his green eyes that so mirrored her own fixed on her, head cocked to one side, a mannerism he'd picked up from James, watching, waiting for acknowledgement. "Are you alright?"

Lily gave herself a little shake, summoned a trembling smile, and enveloped him in the biggest hug she could muster, despite his protests at being seen as a baby by his new peers. She held his small, wriggling body to her chest, burying her face in his tousled hair---hadn't she told him to brush it this morning?---and breathing deeply, trying to sear this feeling into her brain.

Somewhere beside her, she heard James, felt his hand brush her arm as he rubbed Harry's head. "Go easy on your mum, kiddo. This is tough on her. You're still our baby, you know."

"Dad," Harry whined, evidently building himself up to a proper complaint, but was cut off by the screaming horn of the train.

"Well, there's the train," Lily managed, blinking away foolish tears. She was really making a spectacle of herself, wasn't she? Come on, Lily, pull yourself together, she scolded. It's a happy day, your son is going to Hogwarts!

And she smiled again, less shaky this time, down at her son, who was distractedly cleaning his glasses on the edge of his shirt. Just like his father always did. "Remember, Harry if you have any problems, you go to your uncle Sev, alright? Promise me."

James' nose wrinkled. He still liked to play at being sworn enemies with Severus, though both men had matured and grown out of it long ago. 

Harry glanced back up at her, then towards the train, where other students were boarding, lugging suitcases and bird cages and god-knows-what on with them. He suddenly looked as nervous as she felt. "Yes, Mum."

"Don't be scared," James said, stooping to drop a kiss atop Harry's head. "You're gonna have a great time. Come on, give us a hug and I'll help you with your bags."

Harry wasted no time in embracing them both at once, holding on for dear life. Lily almost sobbed.

But she didn't. And neither did Harry, and neither did James.

So Harry went off with James, manning Harry's trolley between them, and Lily watched them blend in with the hordes of children and parents swarming the train.

She felt oddly abandoned. What was that quote? Sometimes the loneliest place in the world is in a crowd. Was that it? If it wasn't, it certainly should be. 

She was just beginning to wonder if she ought to follow after, to see if help was needed with Harry's bags, when a worn, warm hand gripped her shoulder.

"It's always the hardest the first time," the brisk voice of Molly Weasley said, brown eyes crinkling at the corners as she offered Lily a brief smile, then disappeared back into the crowd, her youngest, a little girl, clinging to her cardigan.

Lily hoped that meant it would get easier each year. But she had a feeling it wouldn't.

And then James was with her again, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, head angling towards hers, mouth brushing her ear as he spoke above the din of children and parents calling goodbyes, directing her gaze to where Harry leaned out of a window, waving frantically to them, and was that the Malfoy boy with him?

Lily laughed tearfully and waved back, blowing kisses as the train's horn sounded again, signalling that it would leave shortly.

"Don't forget to write, kiddo!" James called, also waving wildly, face split with one big grin. 

"Goodbye Mum! Goodbye Dad!" Harry shouted, almost falling out of the window in his excitement, saved only by a young boy Lily didn't recognise grabbing onto the back of his robes and hauling him back in with an exasperated noise that could be heard even above the racket around them.

"Harry, knock it off, would you?" the boy demanded, and both boys disappeared back into the window, and that was that.

That was that.

Harry was off to Hogwarts.