The one where James messed up

The shock of familiar strangers

The heavy, awkward silence that followed James's bold declaration hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity. Everyone stood frozen, processing what had just been revealed. In front of them, Harry, Sirius, and Remus—three war-hardened members of the Order of the Phoenix—stared back at the group from the future, completely bewildered by the notion that they were standing in front of Harry Potter's future children.

James, feeling the weight of the silence, shifted uncomfortably. "So, uh... yeah. Surprise?"

Sirius broke into a grin. "Surprise, indeed. My godson has kids—and not just one! This is bloody brilliant."

Harry, however, remained cautious. He took a tentative step forward, his eyes scanning the faces of the adults claiming to be his offspring. "You're really... my children? From the future?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Yeah," Lily spoke up, her voice gentle. "I'm Lily Luna. Named after Gran and Aunt Luna."

"And I'm James Sirius," James added, pointing at Sirius with a grin. "Named after, well... you." He then gestured at Sirius, who beamed with pride. "Best godfather ever, apparently."

Harry blinked, absorbing the information. "I named my kids after... people I care about?" His voice softened with a mix of surprise and tenderness.

Lily smiled. "You did. You and Mum."

Harry's brow furrowed. "Mum?"

Ginny, who had been uncharacteristically silent, spoke up, a small smile playing on her lips. "Yeah, that would be me. Ginny Weasley."

Harry's eyes snapped to her. "Weasley? As in Ron's sister?"

Ginny nodded. "That's right. You married me, Harry. Surprised?"

Harry's face flushed a little, clearly taken aback. "I—uh—yeah, a bit. I didn't exactly expect that."

Sirius laughed. "Of course you did, Harry. You've got good taste!"

Ginny rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Sirius's teasing, but Harry still seemed a little dazed by the information. He turned to look at the rest of the group. "And... who else is here?"

James, eager to lighten the mood, jumped in. "Well, that's Albus over there—Albus Severus Potter. Named after, well, you can guess."

"Albus Severus?" Harry repeated slowly, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "As in... Professor Snape?"

Albus stepped forward, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Yeah. It's kind of a long story, but you named me after him. Apparently, he was one of the bravest men you ever knew."

Harry's face softened at the mention of Snape, memories of the man's sacrifice and loyalty flooding back. "I suppose... I never would have thought... but it makes sense."

Sirius snorted. "Snape? Brave? You must be pulling my leg."

Remus, however, shot Sirius a look. "It's true, Sirius. Snape was braver than any of us realized back then."

Sirius waved it off with a dramatic sigh. "Well, I'll take your word for it."

"Trust me," James interjected, "Dad's had a lot of time to think about it."

Harry shifted again, still visibly overwhelmed, and turned to look at Scorpius, who had been standing quietly beside Rose, watching the exchanges with wary eyes.

"Who's he?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Rose opened her mouth to speak, but James beat her to it, his voice full of mischief. "Ah, yes. Harry, meet Scorpius Malfoy."