Harry watched in shock as a cute young girl looked at the two of them with wide green eyes. Her hair was a deep red face round with baby fat, but on the verge of true beauty. His mother!

When he brought James to the burger place he knew it was close to where Lily grew up. But he didn’t expect to actually see her… didn’t he? Maybe he had been hoping for this, but for it to actually happen… Maybe the higher powers hadn’t abandoned him after all.

“What in M-” she stopped herself. “Jesus’s name are you doing here! Are you stalking me?”

She stormed over to their table, green eyes flashing in anger.

“N-n-no!” James spluttered, just as shocked as Lily was.

His young fathers eyes darted to Harry.

“Harry here… well you see he’s my tutor, and he decided since I was doing such a good job that I deserved a treat. We didn’t know you’d be here!”

“Tutor?” Lily said, looking at Harry for the first time.

For a moment it seemed like there was a magical connection between them. The same one Harry felt when he first saw his own children.

“What are you wearing?” Lily asked.

“Er, clothes?”

James’s eyes widened and Harry internally cursed. He was usually composed in front of James, but he had been preparing for that meeting before conducting the ritual. The boy had probably never expected forever composed Harry to be on the backfoot.

“I swear, wizards,” she muttered.

“Oi, I grew up muggle. Thank you very much.”

Lily looked at him unimpressed.

“Yeah sure. Obviously didn’t stay that way.”

James snorted and the both of them sent him a glare, which made him flinch back.

“Well Miss-” Harry almost said Evans, but James hadn’t actually said her name, and he wasn’t going to out him like that. “I’m sorry, what is your name?”

“Lily Evans.”

“Well Miss Evans would you like to join us? I would love to hear about my little student here and how he is at Hogwarts.”

“He’s a menace,” she muttered.

Then she looked at Harry, nose scrunched. Obviously she didn’t want to particularly sit with James, but also didn’t want to be rude and maybe wanted to talk magic shop.

“It’ll be my treat,” Harry said, giving her a disarming grin. “And if you have any questions about magic you can ask away. I am quite the expert.”

No no no, he was not flirting with his fifteen year old mom, despite what James’s horror stricken face said. He was using a similar smile, one of pure intentions and no indication that he cared about her physical appearance. Damned brat didn’t know the difference.

He really was too old for anything like that anyways. And didn’t have the want for it either. (especially with his own child mother UGH) A flash of his dead family went through his mind.

“I guess, but I’d rather sit next to you than to the toerag.”

Harry snorted as James scowled.

Harry scooted over on the booth and Lily tentatively sat down, a feeling of awkwardness permeating through her body.

“Here you are- Lily? What are you doing here?” the waitress said, two bottles of coke on her tray.

“Hey Kris, just wanted some food.”

Kris the waitress looked at the two men at the table.

“You know these two?” she said, eyes narrowing.

“Yeah, well I know him,” Lily said pointing to James. “Schoolmate, and this is-”

“His amazing and charming grandfather of course,” Harry said, giving the waitress a flirty grin. “Wasn’t expecting to run into one of James’s classmates though. Good things come to those of pure heart I guess.”

See dad? That was flirting.

“Oh and you’re pure of heart?” the waitress said, narrowed eyes now filled with amusement.

“I meant you obviously. I’m the good thing that came to you.”

Kris laughed while the two teenagers squirmed awkwardly at the thirty something woman and the old as dinosaur man’s flirting.

“Can we get another pop for Miss Evans here?”

“Sure thing sweetie.”

After the waitress left James groaned, smacking his head on the table.

“Please Harry, never do that again.”

“These old bones aint dust yet boy.”

“I hate to agree with Potter, but I really did not enjoy watching that sir,” Lily said uncomfortably, her face bright red.

“Call me Harry please.”

“Uh, okay Harry.”

It was official he could die happily. There weren’t any more regrets to be had.

“Well I will admit that its been a while since I’ve had a muggle burger, could you give James and me some recommendations?”

Lily was quickly able to help Harry, because of course he didn’t actually need help, but James was looking at the bright words behind the counter with confusion.

“Baja Burger Blast?” he said shaking his head.

Lily had to move over to the other side to help him, which made James blush deeply, which he hid by grinning and running his hand through his hair. Which in turn made Lily scowl at him.

“Sorry Lily, my legs acting up, gotta stretch it out,” Harry said when Lily tried to move back around to retake her seat.

She looked like she knew what he was doing, but when she saw the shredded skin of his leg her teeth clacked shut and she moved back to sit next to a grinning James. Harry gave him an obvious wink which made Lily roll her eyes.

“So Lily. is Lily okay or do you prefer Miss Evans?”

“Uh, Lily is fine.”

“So Lily, James here still has plenty of time with me, but to repay you for accompanying us, is there anything you wanna learn?”

“Well… What do you know? Do you have any Masteries?”

“Oh Harry is amazing at pretty much anything. Except for potions, he sucks at potions.”

Harry scowled at James.

“Quiet you. But its true. I have a large skill repertoire.”

“Charms?” Lily asked, eyes lightning up.

“Of course. I’ve spent decades learning some of the most obscure charms out there, not to mention creating a few myself.”

“Do you know how to cast a Patronus?”

Harry grinned and grabbed the menu off the table, holding it sideways so anyone behind the counter couldn’t see what he was about to do.

Without his wand he pointed in between them and whispered.

“Expecto Patronum.”

A stag, a very very small stag, leapt out of his finger, tapping away soundlessly on the table before looking up to the wide eyes of Lily. The stag moved forward as if to sniff Lilys hand before gently nudging it and moving over to James-

Fuck.

James looked at the stag in shock. Because obviously the stag represented him. Sure it was made out of pale blue light, but magic had a way of identifying things like that.

Harry ignored the wide eyed stare as James looked at him in confusion, and Harry dismissed the spell.

“That was amazing! You did that without a wand!”

“Indeed. I learned that one a quite the young age,” Harry boasted, trying to draw James’s attention away from the Prongs Patronus.

“Really? What age?”

“Thirteen.”

Lily gaped.

“Thats… what! Its beyond NEWT level though!”

Harry shrugged, giving his mother a grin.

“Natural what can I say? I also had a good teacher.”

“Well, I spent the last year trying to get it, but…” she looked to James a blush appearing on her face, which thankfully finally knocked James out of his thoughts. “I haven’t been able to get it. Obviously I can’t practice over the summer, but… am I just not happy enough? Or do I just not have enough happy memories?”

“Nonsense. Honestly whoever wrote to only focus on happy memories is a fool. Its not happy memories, but the feeling of happiness that is important. For myself I imagine my family, the feeling that image gives me rather than the image itself. My first wife thought of the feeling of joy when every magical creature that she oh so loved living safe and happy lives. While my second thought of all the wrongs in the world being righted. Those weren’t real memories, but the feeling those ideas would have brought.”

“So using memories doesn’t actually work?” Lily asked.

Just like Hermione she wanted to know the ins and outs.

“It can, but not always, its how the spell was first invented for sure, but our understanding of its true function has grown beyond that. Guess the books just haven’t caught up though.”

“Is it true- oh sorry Kris.”

The waitress smiled pleasantly and handed them their plates.

“Just call out if you need anything.”

“Is it true you can use them to send messages?” Lily said more quietly.

James perked up at that, a devious smile playing on his lips.

Harry rolled his eyes. His father was not subtle at all.

“Yes, they even ignore most wards as they are not physical or harmful to anything except a Dementor or a Lethifold. Its pretty tricky to do though. You have to get so used to casting it that you can focus on the spell, the happy juice, the incantation and the message you want to relay to the person or place you want to give it to.”

Both of their eyes widened at that. For most just focusing on a spell and moving at the same time could be tough. Its why most inexperienced duelists don’t just dodge spells.

“That’s a lot,” James muttered.

“With enough practice you get the hang of it.”

“Could… could you show us?” Lily asked.

Harry grinned, all of the discomfort and annoyance she had at sitting next to James had washed away.

“I don’t want to risk it anymore here than I have to, but I assume you’ll be back home around ten tonight? I can send one to you then with some random message.”

“Hmm maybe we could start communicating like that Evans,” James said grinning. “Plan our secret rendezvous.”

And the annoyed face was back. Dumbass.

“Harry can you not teach James the spell please? In fact if you want I would happily become your student instead. Bet you barely get anything done with this dunce.”

“Too true Lily, too true.”

-

10 more Chapters up on my Pa treon

Pa tre on.c om/BronzeTurtle