𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙎𝙤 𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙣 ―𝐣𝐬𝐩

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐨 - 𝐈 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐫

James

The harsh buzz of my phone alarm jolted me awake. Groaning, I slapped it off, rolling over in bed and squinting at the screen. A message from the group chat "BroCode™" caught my eye.

Natey:
Guys, where do we meet up at King's Cross?

Me:
Usual spot near Platform 9¾, duh.

Yawning, I tossed the phone aside and sat up, running a hand through my messy chestnut hair. The early morning light filtered through my curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. I stretched, muscles protesting as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Another year at fucking Hogwarts awaited. My sixth year, to be exact, and I had big news to share with the fam.

Slipping on a pair of my favorite grey sweatpants, I made my way downstairs, the familiar scent of pancakes hitting me suddenly, awaking me completely.

The kitchen was already a flurry of activity. Dad, wearing a ridiculous apron that said "Master of the Pancakes," was flipping pancakes with the kind of expertise that came from years of survival cooking at the Dursleys'. Mum was wrapped around him from behind, her arms circling his waist, and she was laughing as he carefully flipped another pancake. They were nauseatingly cute, as usual.

Albus, my younger brother, was perched on a kitchen stool, his nose buried in a book as always. He looked up briefly, wrinkling his nose at our parents' display of affection before returning to his reading. Typical Al.

"Morning, idiots," I grumbled, heading straight for the coffee machine.

"Morning, James!" Lily's voice was a high-pitched squeal as she practically bounced down the stairs, her pink heart pajamas flapping around her. She rushed over and I kissed her forehead before she darted over to Dad and Mum. "Mum, Daddy, you look so adorable!"

"Thanks, princess," Dad said, flipping another pancake with a grin. "How about you take a seat and let me finish these up?"

Lily complied, still buzzing with energy. I grabbed a mug and poured myself a generous amount of coffee. Only then did I feel like a semi-functional human being.

"Nice ink," Mum said, eyeing the tattoo below my hipbone that peeked out from the waistband of my sweatpants. "Do you really have to flaunt that at breakfast? Or anywhere in my house for that matter?" She strongly disapproves of my tattoo. The thing is, I did ask her if I could get it last year and she had allowed it, she just didn't know what I had planned. That's her bad.

I smirked. "Sorry, Mum. Forgot to put on a shirt." I ruffled Albus' hair as I walked past him. He swatted my hand away without looking up. He really loves reading. Geez.

"James, seriously?" he muttered, clearly grossed out by the combination of our parents' affection and my morning antics.

"Teddy Bear!" I said, spotting my godbrother, who had just walked in, his iconic turquoise hair all messy. I pulled him into a bear hug. Teddy Lupin, now a fully-fledged Auror, was like the older brother I never had.

"Morning, Jamie," Teddy said with a chuckle, returning the hug. "Ready for another year?"

"Absolutely," I said, finally taking a seat at the table. "Got some news, actually."

"Do share," Teddy said, eyebrows raised.

I took a long sip of coffee, savoring the warmth before setting the mug down. "Got a letter from Minnie this summer. I'm captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year."

"James! That's fantastic dearest!" Mum said, beaming with pride. "I knew you'd get it eventually. And please do start calling the Headmistress by Professor McGonagall." She pulled me into a motherly hug, her ginger hair splashed all over my naked torso, as I rested my chin on the top of her head.