You Shouldn't Have Lied

#14

"Holy cricket!" Hermione exclaimed, looking at the bookshelf.
"What?" Jace asked, looking at her.
"Harry! You have the all of the S.O. Howell books! Like, the first edition fancy hardbacks! They're so cool! And S.O. Howell is such a good author."
"Yeah. My pop loves him. My parents have been telling me his stories since I was a kid. Well, a kid friendly version," Harry told her.
"I started reading them three years ago and got hooked."
"Cool."
"You're talking about S.O. Howell?" Sirius asked, walking into the room with juice and cookies.
"Yes dad. How long were you out there?"
"Nope. My proof is that the cookies are still warm."
"Who made them?"
"Reg. With James' help."
"My dad's here?" Jace asked, looking up at Sirius.
"Yeah. He didn't know if you'd want to see him."
"Can I?"
"Sure, I can take you to him, if you'd rather see him in private."
"Please."
Sirius lead the boy out of the room,before coming back alone.
"So, S.O. Howell," he said, standing by the door.
"DAD! LEAVE!" Harry shouted, trying to push him out of the door.
"But I want to hear more compliments for my writing."
"You're S.O. Howell!" Hermione exclaimed, standing up.
"The one an only."
"But your surname is Black?" Hermiones eyebrows furrowed, trying to connect the dots.
"Howell is Remus' mother's maiden name. I couldn't use my real name in the wizarding world. Wouldn't sell books."
"But they're in the muggle world. I read them in the muggle world."
"The publishing company works in both worlds. I'm a double bestseller."
"Dad, stop showing off to my friends and leave us alone. Or I'll call pop."
"Call who?" Remus asked, popping up behind his fiancé, taking his hand.
"No one," Sirius replied, pulling his love into him, kissing his temple.
"Eww. Pop, dad won't leave us alone because he found out Hermione is his biggest fan-" Harry complained, before being interrupted by Hermione.
"I wouldn't say I'm his biggest fan," she said, trying to seem cooler.
"Hermione, we love you, don't lie."
"Fine. I might be one of his biggest fans."
"Thank you," Sirius smirked.
"Anyway. He won't leave us alone," Harry continued.
"Come on, love. Let's leave them to it," Remus told Sirius, pulling him away.
"Have fun, kids!" Sirius said, letting himself be dragged away.
"I am...so sorry," Harry told his friends, sitting back down, "my parents are idiots. Mostly my dad."
"Trust me, we're all good. I have six siblings. I never have alone time," Ron replied.
"Your dad is S.O. Howell. And you didn't tell me," Hermione said, turning to him as she processed the past few minutes.
"Kinda, yeah. I don't think about about it that much. I forget most of the time."
"But I asked about your collection."
"My pop does love S.O. Howell. So much that he us engaged to him."
"Ugh. You are such an idiot."
"You're not wrong," Faolan told her, and Harry gave them the middle finger.
"It's okay. You were dropped on you head as a baby," they told him.
"Bloody hell, really?" Ron asked.
"I was not dropped. Something fell on me," Harry told him.
"Suddenly alot makes sense," Draco said, and Harry lightly slapped him.
"You did also know," He also said.
"Mhm. But still."

In the kitchen, with James and Jace (during the conversation)

"Hey, James," Sirius called to the man, walking in with his son.
"Yeah?" James asked, walking into the room with his boyfriend. He immediately stopped when he saw Jason.
"Hi Dad," the boy said awkwardly.
"Jason," his father said so softly that he was almost whispering. Jason ran to his father and hugged him. James wrapped his arms around the boy, holding him close for the first time in years.
"Te extrañé," (Translation: I missed you) Jace mumbled into his dad's chest.
"Me too, burbujita."
"Why didn't you come back? I wanted you back."
"Tu madre. Ella no quería que volviera. No quería causarte dolor peleando con ella." (Your mother. She didn't want me back. I didn't want to cause you pain by fighting her.)
"Mum doesn't know I'm here. No quería decírselo en caso de que ella dijera que no a dejarme ir. (I didn't want to tell her incase she said no to letting me go.) I didn't even tell her I talked to Harry."
"You should probably tell her. It's better to hear it from you than for her to find out by herself."
"No quiero perderte otra vez. Or Harry. (I don't want to lose you again.) "
"You don't have to say anything of your don't want to, of course. Now that I know you want to see me, I'll talk to her. See if I can arrange something for just you, Harry and I. Or just us, if you'd prefer."
"Por favor. For either."
Sirius had long since left, but Regulus was still stood there, awkwardly watching their interaction. He didn't know what his place was in this situation. James noticed him standing there and let go of his son.
"Jace, this is my boyfriend, Regulus," he said, introducing his son to his new boyfriend.
"Hi," Regulus greeted. He knew it would be awkward. Sure, Lily had gotten remarried, but for James to be dating someone new, not just that, but a boy. He didn't know how Jace would react.
"Hi. I'm Jason. It's nice to meet you." The boy stuck out his hand, and Regulus shook it.
"You too."
"I'm going to go back to my friends," Jace told them, walking away.
"Adiós," James replied, smiling at his son and waving him off.

"Hey Jace," Faolan said as the boy walked back into the room.
"Hey Faolan," he replied, sitting down next to them.
"How'd it go?" Ron asked, and Jace smiled.
"Good. I haven't seen him in years. He said he'll try to see me more."
"That's great!"
"Maybe we could go out as a family some time?" Harry asked him, turning to look at his brother from where he was playing checkers against Draco.
"A family?"
"Yeah. You, me, pa."
"That would be great, if it can be arranged."
"Yeah."
"What the hell is that?" Draco asked, looking at the wooden poles in the corner.
"Cricket stumps," Harry replied.
"You say that like it makes more sense."
"You don't know cricket?!?"
"No?!?"
"Cricket's that thing that's a bit like rounders, right?" Hermione asked.
"You're a muggleborn! How do you not know about cricket?" Harry exclaimed
"Do I looks like a sporty kid, Harry?"
"Yeah, well neither does Faolan, and they play."
"Hey! Do I not look like a sporty kid?"
"You look like a small gust of wind could blow you over."
"Casse toi."
"Did you just swear at me in French?"
"Oui Oui salope."
"Anyway, what in Circe's name is cricket?" Draco asked, interrupting their conversation.
"It's only the greatest game ever invented. Better than Quiddich."
"Don't you dare say that. Nothing is better than Quiddich," Ron said.
"You have never played cricket."
"We could go play. You live opposite the park," Faolan said, and Harry looked at them impressed.
"You're a genius! We could teach everyone, and they'll all suck and we'll both win."
"How nice," Draco muttered, rolling his eyes.
"I'm down though, if everyone else is," Jace said, and Ron nodded.
"You won't yell at me for being slow, or bad, will you?" Hermione asked.
"Bloody hell Hermione, why on earth would we do that?" Ron asked.
"That's what everyone did at primary school."
"Well we're nice and they're dicks," Faolan told her, putting an arm around her shoulders.
"Then okay."
"I will beat you all," Draco threatened, holding his checker up as a weapon.
"We'll see," Faolan replied, throwing a checker at his head. It hits its mark.

After Harry asked his parents of they could go across the road to play, the six went, carrying cricket gear, a soft  instead of hard cricket ball. After briefly explaining the game, the six played in pairs. Harry and Faolan tried to be on the same team, but that idea was immediately shut down, given that they both had experience. Harry and Jason were put together, Faolan and Hermione, and Draco and Ron. It was supposedly done to even out the athletic ability, but Draco and Ron were still suspicious about it. The twins won, which most of them could have seen coming. But they had fun nonetheless. They were observed by the watchful eyes of a black cat, which was eventually joined by a black dog. The kids didn't notice the two animals until they were joined by a larger animal.
"Harry? Stags aren't local are they?" Hermione asked, spotting it first.
"No, why?" He answered, putting down the cricket bat.
"There's one watching us."
"Oh for..." He trailed off and Faolan laughed.
"Bloody hell," Ron said, picking up the bat and holding it as if it were a weapon.
"Don't worry. My family are just idiots," Harry told him.
"Is that dad?" Jace asked, looking at the stag.
"Yes. I assume my dad and Uncle Reg came in their animagus forms to not raise suspicion and pa tried to join them."
"Yeah. I don't think he thought that through."
Harry shooed the animals away and the cat climbed ontop of the stag, slapping the stags head with his paw and Harry rolled him eyes.
"I am so sorry," he told his friends.
"Don't he. It's fecking hilarious," Faolan told him.