Favoring The Strong {Drarry}

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"Jamesie," says a familiar voice shaking the boy lightly from his sleep.

"JL," says another more tired voice.

"I'll just carry him," says the first voice. "Sleeping helps reduce stress."

"Oh, of course it does. Tell me more, Healer Potter."

"Shut it, Pop star."

James feels the wash of magic in his sleep that he somehow knows makes him as light as a feather. He feels someone lift him onto their back and he snuggles into the feeling, the smell of home and storm clouds surrounding him.

"Thank you for letting them come here," the tired voice says from somewhere behind him.

"They're always welcome here," a female voice says this time. "I'll be over in the morning with some tea and maybe biscuits. You all look like you need a break."

James feels a hand brush through his hair and someone places a kiss on his forehead.

When James wakes up again, Teddy is watching him from the desk chair in the corner of his room at his father's house.

"Why aren't we home," he asks through a yawn.

"It's a mess. Aurors wrecked the place and Dads have to block the floo and fix it all tomorrow."

"Are Dads here?"

"Downstairs."

James sits up to go running down to them, but Teddy grabs his wrist to stop him.

"We're not allowed down there."

"Why the bloody hell not?" James turns fierce eyes on his brother as if that has ever worked before. "Don't they know how worried we were—"

"They're arguing," Teddy explains. "Talking about everything that happened and why Dad never let Pops over to his place and why he still has this place."

"Then why is it so quiet?"

"Dad said they were getting too loud 'cause you were asleep, and I guess they threw up some charms so we can't hear them, but I didn't hear what the spells were."

"Then how do you know they're still down there?"

Teddy falters for less than a second but it was enough for James to pull his hand free and bolt from his room. He doesn't hear anything as he crosses the threshold but he can see the lights on down in the living room.

James takes the stairs two at a time. He doesn't know why he can't just take Teddy's word for it, but he needs to see his dads with his own eyes. He needs to reach for their magic with his own. He needs to know that they're really there.

When he gets to the bottom step he can see that his dads are arguing. He can't hear what they're saying but he can see them. It's not the first time they've argued and he knows it won't be the last but it doesn't bother him, because he knows they love each other and they love him and Teddy and they wouldn't do anything to hurt each other. He thinks back to years of them being apart and snorts. Not on purpose, at least.

He doesn't realize he's crying until a tear slides down his face onto his lips and he tastes the salt water. His dad looks over at him from where he's rubbing the bridge of his nose beneath his glasses and says his name. He doesn't hear it, of course, not at first but then the spell breaks and his dad tries again.

"Jamesie? Are you okay? What's the matter?" His dad steps closer, looking between each of his eyes and placing a hand on his head to check his temperature and cast a couple of wandless diagnostic spells.

James can't think of a real response, and he knows that he's too old to be blubbering like a baby, but seeing both of his parents there and alive after all of the stress he had put himself and Teddy through is more than enough to send him to tears.

"I thought something terrible had happened to you," he says through a sob while launching himself from the step into his Dad's arms.

"Oh no, lovey," says his Father coming to run a hand through his curly hair as well, before placing a cool hand on his cheek and wiping some of his tears. "We're here. We're not going anywhere."

"B-but you got shot and now Teddy says they've destroyed the house and...and...and you guys were gone for so long." The sob that tears itself from James' throat is heart-wrenching and his wishes he wasn't such a cry baby. He wants to pull back and compose himself but then the stairs creek behind him and he hears Teddy's voice crack when he speaks as well.

"So you're both really okay?" Teddy says pleading. They can all hear the fear and the tears in his voice and James realizes that maybe they aren't too old to cry because they're scared. He can even feel his dad's tears as he pulls Teddy into the strong grip that the scarred man is passing off as a hug. Can feel the shudder in his father's breath.

"I'm sorry," their dad says over and over. "I'm so sorry."

"We're here. We're all here. We're okay," his father chimes in.

He thinks that maybe all of them were just waiting for a chance to break down, because they'd never had one, really. Had never given themselves one. They had shut down and clammed up and covered the feelings with anger or humor, but they'd never given themselves a chance to feel it together. Or talk about it together. To heal from it together. And James thinks that maybe this is what makes the difference.

"Can we..." his throat is scratchy and sore from the screams and sobs he hadn't realized were coming from him, his face is dry ans sticky from the tears, and his knees hurt from where they're all huddled together on the floor in a sad amalgamation of a group hug. He clears his throat and tries again even though the trauma wants him to clam up. "Can we talk about it?"

His dad's answering cry and nod is enough. They all want to get better, and now it's clear that they're all at least willing to try without ignoring it.

James thinks that maybe that's a part of growing up.

-&-

hey futher muckers

this chapter actually wrote itself
i twas merely a vessel through which words flowed
and it will be up on ao3 in a tic

lemme know your feels this time around
i feel like im dragging the boys through it when we were just supposed to be happy & domestic lmao

yall love me 😚😚

as always. i hope yall enjoyed

love yall
black lives matter ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿

-- angel janeé xoxo 💋