If I May Be So Bold (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

44.

March 2035

JAMES

Between Elise's birthday celebration Friday night, the quidditch match on Saturday, and a second birthday dinner with Elise's parents on Sunday, it had turned out to be a much busier weekend than usual. James wasn't rested at all heading into that next week of school and by the following Saturday, James was so wiped out he nearly slept through his alarm to go meet Piper for breakfast. It was Elise, not his wand, that woke him up.

He was equally grateful and annoyed.

"You didn't see her last weekend," Elise told him. "You'll be mad at yourself if you don't go, and you can come home and take a nap after."

She was right, as usual, so he hauled himself out of bed and less than half an hour later, was hurrying through Diagon Alley, trying his best to stay out of the rain as he made his way to the cafe they frequented. Piper was already there, seated at a little round table near the window. She had the menu open in front of her and said hello to him without looking up. Just as she had ordered a different ice cream flavor nearly every time they had gotten ice cream when she was a kid, Piper liked to try something new at least every couple of weeks.

She was the most adventurous eater he had ever known, especially now knowing the girls and how picky they had been growing up. He had never realized how easy Piper was until he had been faced with two kids who said no to everything for at least five straight years. They'd gotten much better about this, but it had been rough for a while there.

"What looks good today?" he asked her.

"I was kind of feeling like an omelet," she said. "But they have poached eggs as a special, so I might do that."

She closed her menu and looked up at him. She looked more alert every time he saw her.

"I got the job," she said, and she started to smile as soon as he did.

"Pipe," he grinned. "That's fantastic. I told you you'd get it."

"I don't know," she said. "I was pretty surprised actually. A lot of people put in for it."

"When do you start?"

"A week from Monday," she said. "But this week, I'm kind of transitioning. Wrapping up my current role and stuff."

"What'd your mum say?"

"She cried," Piper shrugged. "You know how she is."

"She's proud of you," James said. "And why wouldn't she be?"

The waiter came by then and they ordered their food. When he'd gone, Piper looked down at the table and said. "I'm nervous about it. I don't really know if I was ready."

"Speaking from experience," James said, "You'll figure it out pretty quick. I switched careers entirely with short notice and absolutely zero training and I did okay. It was a little bumpy there at the start, but you figure it out. You just learn as you go and let yourself make mistakes and be okay with them. It'll get easier."

"I know," she said. "But making mistakes and letting them go isn't my forte. And I'm still a little... fragile."

"You're tougher than you think you are," James said.

Piper looked like she was about to say something self-deprecating, but she stopped herself and just gave a small nod. James smiled. It was the strangest thing to see your kid become an adult, but it was also the best thing.

Later, after they'd finished their food and were lingering over the last sips of their coffee, Piper said, "So how're you handling the whole Ella, boyfriend situation?" with this funny little smirk on her face like she knew just exactly how he felt about it.