James Potter and Regulus Black had always known that parenthood would be an adventure, but nothing could have quite prepared them for the unique challenges of raising a three-year-old. Their daughter, Y/N, was a bright and curious child, with a knack for picking up on things adults said and a charming way of integrating new words into her rapidly expanding vocabulary.
One sunny afternoon, James and Regulus were enjoying a rare moment of peace in their living room while Y/N played with her toys. The serenity was abruptly shattered when Y/N, in the midst of trying to fit a square block into a round hole, exclaimed loudly, “Oh, fuck!”
James, who had been sipping his tea, choked and coughed. Regulus, who had been reading, looked up with wide eyes. They exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing: Where on earth had she learned that?
“Y/N, sweetie,” Regulus began, trying to keep his voice calm, “where did you hear that word?”
Y/N looked up at her fathers with innocent eyes. “Uncle Moony says it all the time.”
James and Regulus shared a knowing look. Remus Lupin, affectionately known as Uncle Moony, had been spending a lot of time babysitting Y/N along with his boyfriend, Sirius Black, who was also James’ best friend. While Remus was usually the epitome of calm and control, Sirius had a penchant for bringing out a wilder side in him.
“Well, that explains it,” James said, rubbing his temples. “I guess we need to have a little talk with Remus and Sirius.”
Later that day, they decided to take Y/N over to Remus and Sirius’ flat. It wasn’t long before they were sitting down in the cozy living room, Y/N happily playing with a toy Sirius had given her.
“Hey, Moony, Padfoot,” James began, trying to sound casual, “we need to talk about something Y/N said today.”
Sirius raised an eyebrow. “What did our little angel say?”
“She said ‘fuck,’” Regulus said bluntly.
Remus, who had been sipping his tea, spluttered and looked horrified. “What? She must have picked that up from somewhere else!”
James shook his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “She specifically said she learned it from you, Moony.”
Sirius burst out laughing. “Oh, Moony, you’ve been a bad influence!”
Remus’ cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. “I—I didn’t realize. I mean, Sirius and I do get a bit... casual with our language sometimes. I’m so sorry, James, Regulus.”
Regulus sighed but couldn’t help but smile. “It’s not the end of the world, Remus. We just need to be more careful about what she hears.”
Sirius ruffled Y/N’s hair. “Well, we can’t have our little niece using such language. We’ll watch our words from now on, won’t we, Moony?”
Remus nodded fervently. “Absolutely. We’ll be more mindful. Promise.”
James and Regulus exchanged relieved glances. “Thanks, guys. We appreciate it,” James said.
As they headed home, Y/N happily clutching a new stuffed animal from Sirius, James put an arm around Regulus’ shoulders. “Well, at least we know she’s in good hands with them.”
Regulus laughed softly. “Good hands that need to watch their language, but yes.”
The days that followed were filled with careful monitoring of Y/N’s vocabulary. James and Regulus made sure to gently correct any inappropriate words, often replacing them with funny alternatives that made Y/N giggle.
One evening, as they were getting Y/N ready for bed, she looked up at them with her big, innocent eyes and said, “Daddy, Papa, I won’t say bad words anymore.”
James smiled and kissed her forehead. “That’s right, sweetie. Good words only.”
Regulus tucked her in, smiling as she yawned and snuggled into her blankets. “Sweet dreams, love.”
As they turned off the light and closed her door, James whispered to Regulus, “Parenthood is definitely an adventure.”
Regulus nodded, leaning into James. “An adventure I wouldn’t trade for anything.”
And as they walked hand in hand back to their own room, they knew that no matter what challenges came their way, they would face them together, with love and a little bit of humor.
