Archive of Our Own ^beta

If anyone said something about James Potter, they would say that he is the embodiment of confidence. That same quality mirrored onto his ex-wife Lily Evans. They were the power couple, some would say, and even after the divorce remained good friends.

Given, that they had shared this star quality, their son, Harry, did not share the same trait. After many failed attempts of coaching Harry through interactions, James decided the best way to allow Harry to progress, was for Harry to do it himself.

James took Harry to the front of a well-known store, then leaned down and spoke, "Here we are, Harry. You wanted to get something right?"

The small boy looked up at his dad, "Yeah, I want a toy to play with when I got to Ron's house."

James smiled to himself, hearing his son slur his words. James reached into his pocket and took out a 20 pound bill. Handing it to the small boy, he couldn't help but laugh at his confused face.

"Okay buddy, go on inside and buy the prettiest thing you can get your hands on, if you need help, you should ask someone. Okay?"
Harry frowned, "You're not coming?"

"Nope, this is all you bud. We've got to work on your confidence."

A little "Okay" was heard before the boy was running off, eager to obtain his pretty little object. But boy, was James wrong about that last part.

———

Harry entered the store with a rush of adrenaline, being told he could buy the prettiest thing, whatever he wanted. He really wanted to find the prettiest thing, just to make his dad proud and gleam.

Harry set forth on a mission. His adrenaline soon wore off, leaving him feeling slightly anxious but the need to please his dad overshadowed that.

He peered through the aisles and found an aisle with colorful decorations and little trinkets. Everything was so pretty to Harry that he couldn't choose the prettiest thing.

Walking with his head turned to the side at the various trinkets, Harry bumped into someone and fell backward onto the floor.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Was heard coming from above him. The voice so gentle and pleasing to his ears.

Harry looked up and saw the prettiest person he had ever laid eyes on.

———

Regulus was shopping for a party. Normally he wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near one, but today he is hosting it. His best friend, Pandora who -after ranting all about the horrible men of this world- got engaged to the love of her life.

Ragulus decided that after everything she has done for him since he got out of that wretched place, and after she helped him reach normalcy, she would appreciate a little something for her.

All of this brings him to his current predicament. He was so busy searching what to get that he knocked into a child, dropping him to the ground. "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?"
He kneeled down as the boy raised his head to look at him. Regulus felt like he was being assessed as the boy looked at him with such determination.

"Can I buy you?" What the hell? Regulus wondered if he heard that right.

Regulus helped the boy stand up and dusted him off.
"Where are your parents?" Regulus asked the question as if to dismiss the previous statement of the boy.

"Daddy is waiting outside. He said I should come buy the prettiest thing. But everything is so pretty and, and when I saw you, it was like 'wow'. So can I buy you to show my daddy?" Harry gushed as he explain, fumbling over his word and mispronouncing words like pretty as pwetty.

Regulus was totally flattered and hated to break the poor kids heart. "You're don't have to buy me, silly. I would gladly meet your daddy for free."

"Free?"

Regulus nods and Harry proceeded to grab his arm and practically drag him out of the store. Regulus thought about his abandoned cart and hoped the kids happiness was worth, him having to re-pick all his party progress.

———

James waited, leaning against the hood of his car, watching the time. Every few minutes he glanced at the entrance waiting for Harry to come running out.

After a few minutes of stressing he turned and saw Harry practically hopping towards him. It took him a second to make out that Harry was pulling a stranger along with him.

The closer they got them ore he could make out the stranger and as they got closer all James could think of was how pretty they were.

"Daddy!" Harry shouted trying to run faster as the person behind him struggled to keep up.

"Harry, hi bud, who is this?" Harry paused for a moment, likely because he forgot to ask for a name.

"You're said to find the prettiest thing there and I saw him and was like 'wow'–" Harry went telling him about how he met the stranger.

"Umm, hello, I'm Regulus, your son asked to buy me."

"Yea daddy, I wanted to buy him but he said he was free, can you believe it?"

James nervously laughed dismissing Harry's remarks. He turned to the stranger, now with a name to the beautiful face, Regulus.

James and Harry did not share the trait of confidence but they did share one of rambling, "I'm so sorry sorry. I'm trying to teach Harry how to be confident and I didn't expect some as prett- i didn't expect him to find a person to bring when u told him to buy something pretty..." he trailed off trying to put himself together.

———

Regulhs stood amused as the man fumbled to create coherent sentences.
"Do i get your name? Or..."

The man yet again snapped out of staring, "My name is James, James Potter."

Regulus wondered who was the lucky person to get this man everyday. He stared at James while trying to look as neutral as possible. "Soo where is Harry's mother?"

"Oh Lily is with her wife, Mary this weekend so Harry is staying with me. We alternate every week." James said sheepishly.

Regulus–now knowing he was single– felt slightly better and decided to take his chances.

"So now that you have a pretty 'thing' apparently. What's the next step, because I was thinking...coffee?" Regulus smirked but in a way that probably made James' heart do something that even regulus after his years of ballet couldn't.

James stuttered, stuttered out a reply that sound an awful lot like, "i would love that." Regulus could help the grin that made it way onto his face.

"Then I'll leave you to it. See you here tomorrow?"

"Y-yea, totally." Whoever said that when James falls, he falls hard and fast, was absolutely correct.