▪▪▪▪▪

The snow pounded off the glass in Dawn's bedroom, and sent a loud smack throughout the room that awoken her from her deep slumber.

She let out a frown and she pried her tired eyes own to be awoken by her mother who stood by her bedside holding what appeared to be a mug of tea.

"You've been sleeping all morning," her mother informed her speaking softly, she hands her the drink, "I thought maybe you died or something."

"Not yet." she perks. The warmth from her cup spreads to her face as she holds it up to her face. "That's for the second task and second task only."

Sarah sent her daughter a look. "You have another month to find out what the task is sweetheart. Don't worry. You'll have it under control in no time. The real question is, why I still can't find out who did this to you."

"The Ministry still hasn't found anything?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." her blue eyes fill with sadness, "Not even a trace of a name."

"Someone wants me dead, mum." Dawn murmurs lowly, "And the annoying thing about it is that I can't think of who it would be. Unless it's the milk man..."

"It's not the milkman Dawn."

"You don't know that!"

The conversation ends with laughter and her mother leans forward, and pulls out a small looking envelope.

Sarah could tell her daughter wanted to ask something because whenever Dawn wanted to say something on her mind, she pulled this face. Her brown eyes would stay in one spot for around three seconds, her lip would twitch and she would then look up.

"Do you. .you maybe think that it was my dad who put my name in the goblet?"

Without even thinking Sarah says. "What? No. Dawn why would to say that?"

Dawn had been extremely surprised by her mums tone.

She sends her a confused look.

"Why wouldn't be be?" she retorts in the question, she sits up. "I mean we know the guy is already a jerk, what's to say he's not trying to take revenge on me? For all we know he wants me dead!"

"Dawn." Sarah cuts her off. "He wouldn't do that!@

She eye her suspiciously. " How would you know?"

" Because he may be a jerk, as you referred to him as but he's not evil." Sarah mentions and before her daughter could speak, she adds, " And before you ask, no I am not talking with him. I haven't seen him since that night."

If there was one thing Sarah hated doing it was lying to her daughter; yes she had lied about James knowing about Dawn but that was because she didn't know how James would react and mostly, because of the uproar with the Potter family at the time. But now, here she was lying to her daughters innocent face.

Dawn nods. . and after a few moments of continuous silence she stats. " Good because I don't want to ever see him."

" Anyways, this. . .this came in the mail this morning." her mother informs her then hands her a small envelope which had already been opened, she tore out the letter which read:

Dear Dawn, Sarah and Davie

It would be our pleasure if you could make it to Godric's hollows on the 25th for Christmas dinner!

The Potters.

She reads the letter and furrows her eyebrows slightly but found the invitation exiting. However, her heart plumps in her chest when she realizes her mother didn't think the same when she looked up at her.

" Me and Dave decided we won't go." Sarah hadn't known whether she would want to go or not but when she saw the excited look on her daughters face she knew differently, she put aside she wanted to spend Christmas with her daughter and cleared her throat. " But- but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go."

" I mean. . . I don't know. He probably meant you and Dave." Dawn replies and her mother could hear somewhat disappointment in her voice.

Sarah thought back to the many letters she received from James about Dave and how he wanted to know ( quite literally ) everything about Dave. His family, where he worked before, how he was with Dawn but most importantly; why he was anywhere near Dawn?

Yes, James Potter had sent Sarah extremely detailed letters questioning why he was aloud anywhere near Dawn. According to James, he was a " mysterious man living under their roof." and should be " eliminated.".

Her mother stood up and made her way towards the door, where Muggle posters hung of boys on the wall along with a Gryffindor flag.

" Dawn, sweetheart, if you want to go then go. By the way James Potter thinks very fondly of you."

Dawn sits up in her bed and the covers fell to the ground as she bellows. " How do you know that?"

" Trust me I know it!" The woman called back.

Dawn decides to wake up after that, she trips out of the bed and curses loudly when her foot lands on the top of a charger. Her mother ( from the kitchen down stairs ) heard and yelled about her last language, she curses at her under her breath.

She takes a shower after this and ties her hair back into a plait. Whilst she is midst cleaning her room, her owl flies in the open window and drops two letters on her lap.

The first one had been a detailed written letter by Colleen explaining how she was at a stop light with her mum in a Muggle town, and she saw a cute boy who waved then drove off. Dawn responded in the letter saying ' maybe he waved at your mum and not you,'.

The next letter had been from ( surprise ) Harry Potter. And the words on the letter were simple and bland. . much like himself, Dawn thought.

Dawn.
Please come to dinner tonight.
Harry

She pulls an immediate face at his bluntness and shook her head. She pondered whether or not this was the way he spoke to all his friends. As she thinks for a few moments, she wonders whether or not Harry would classify her as his friend. Were they friends? Or were they just mutual acquaintances?

She wondered why the Potters invited her family to come to Christmas dinner. But then again, she thinks furrowing her eyebrows, James Potter had told her that he thought it was good that they got to know each other because of the tournament. Perhaps that was why.

Later that day, around two o clock, as the snow got lighter and Dawns hunger got increasingly more untamable she found herself wondering whether she should attend The Potters dinner alone.

She pushes the food around her plate. "I'm not sure whether I should go or not!"

Dave flicks through the newspaper. " Maybe you should go. . . it might be nice to see what the Potter family are like behind closed doors."

She slurps her drink. "What do you mean?"

"No one knows what the actual Potter family are like outside of the cameras and many reporters that follow them around." Dave explains, "I mean they might appear nice but you don't really know them- none of us do."

Dawn frowns. "I've never really thought about that. James seems nice and Harry's always been alright with me. I've never really thought about them ' behind closed doors' as you say-"

Sarah gathers the plates off the table, not before sending Dave a look. "Dawn. Honestly, do you want to go?"

Dawn pauses then shrugs.

"If you wanna go-then go." Dave suggests. "You never like Christmas that much anyway so maybe you'll have fun?"

"It might be really awkward though.."

Sarah looks at her daughter and the only thing she could think of saying was: it's not going to be awkward because that entire family is going to make you feel as comfortable as possible.

"Dawn sweetheart, look at me. If you want to go to their house then do. I don't mind. I'm sure you'll have fun..." she tells her daughter. "And incase you didn't read the letter properly then I might as well remind you that your name is on the letter as well."

"Alright I'll go!"

After that Dawn gets dressed. She wore a red jumper with blue streaks striking across the stomach, jeans, and black boots.

She was slightly excited but nervous at the same time, she had never had Christmas dinner in anywhere other than her own household with her mother and Dave. They both stated many times, however, that they didn't mind her not spending Christmas Day with them.

▪▪▪▪▪

Dawn was usually good at directions but currently, she was almost positive she was lost.

It was a medium sized cottage looking house, the lawn was maybe five or six meters of grass with bright colored flowers outside the front. She did however notice there was a dozen lilac lily flowers outsides.

( Something told her that was a Christmas present from James to Lily )

She was snapped out of her thoughts as a body comes colliding with hers. She quickly moves out of the way whilst brushing her hair out of her face.

"Oh sorry." Dawn murmurs stepping out of the way, she barely glances at the skinny-rat-faced man, he sends her back a small smile, before she strolls up to the house.

Before she could even make it to the doorway it was yanked open by the one and only James Potter.

He wasn't wearing anything fancy, he wasn't dressed to perfection. This time he was simply wearing jeans and a plain red shirt.

He was wide eyed and she was suddenly feeling incredibly awkward.

"Er I'm sorry I didn't know if you still wanted me to come or not....."

The whole reason was so you would come, James thought but obviously didn't say.

"What? Of course we wanted you to come. Come in!"

Dawn smiles and enters the house and was instantly greeted by a blast of roasting heat. She removes her jacket and scarf and James takes them off her and hangs them on the old coat hanger that stood in the hallway.

She smiled nervously up at him and followed closely behind:

She noticed how he was almost tripping with every step and she wondered if he was drunk.

"I'm so delighted you decided to come. Don't get me wrong or anything I thought when your mum mailed me back and said herself and. .good old Davie. . weren't coming, I naturally presumed you wouldn't want to come either! But here you are..."

And I'm suddenly incredibly nervous, James thinks rambling in his head. He had already told his mum and dad she wasn't coming but now here she was.

James turns back around and scanned her face then goes. " Do you want anything to eat? I mean I know we're having dinner soon but if your hungry now I can make you food? I'm not the best cook but I can do a peanut butter and jelly sandwich-"

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she replayed his words in his head. " I'm alright for the moment, maybe later. Thank you though."

James runs a hand through his hair and nods nervously before running down the hallway. She follows him and as she strolls along the hallway looking at the pictures in the hallway.

Many of them were of Harry.

Dawn enters a room shortly behind James which was full of people she never saw before.

It wasn't packed or anything, thankfully, but there were a lot of people whom she didn't know. The living room wasn't massive or anything and she was as slightly disappointed in herself that she expected them to live in a mansion of some sort.
However when her eyes searched the room they caught hold of a familiar blue eyed, blonde woman.

"Dawn. . You came! She came!" Marlene yells hoping up from her seat, a grin plastered on her pale face as she runs over.

A lot, and she means, a lot of curious eyes turn towards her at the mention of her name.

"You look so grown up since the last time I've seen you." says Marlene examining her face. James eyed her warily. "I can't believe your here! We all thought you weren't coming."

"Last minute."

"Best last minute decision made." Mary was suddenly beside her and was giving her a short, sweet hug. Dawn found it very nice and comforting how two people she never knew were so friendly towards her. " So happy you could make it."

Her lips had been in an uncontrollable smile within the first few seconds she walked in through the doors and as she continues to converse with Marlene and Mary, she spots another familiar face.

An old woman sat in the corner conversioning cheerfully with Harry and every two seconds she would reach over and pinch his cheeks.

Harry notices her and practically sends her a look to come and save him.

"That's my mum, " James informs her with wide eyes, "I want you to meet her! Right away-"

"Mum!" before she could react James was practically dragging her over towards the woman and Harry, he spoke loudly bringing Harry to quickly jump up, send her a look then leave.

"Mum look who it is. ."

Dawn pulls at the sleeve of her jumper: she never had any good experiences with the elderly. They tended to not like her. She never knew why. . maybe it was the milk mans fault.

She had been in her early sixties with sparkly grey hair and dazzling brown-hazels eyes. Like James.

"James you don't have to yell, I have perfect hearing for someone my age." The women sasses in her sons direction, she turns to Dawn and looks her directly in the eyes, "Dawn? Dawn Kale?"

She nodded.

"What lovely eyes you have- mothers?"

She looks at her warily. "Fathers."

Euphemia pats the spot across from her where Harry had once been sitting. "Take a seat, my dear."

Dawn sits down across from here, but not without giving a small smile up at James, which he immediately sent back down.

"You're quite the talk of the household right now."

Euphemia Potter remembered the day when her son had informed her about his newly founded daughter.

" James Fleamont Potter!" Euphemia bellows throughout the Potters house. " Did you not use protection?!"

James who was sitting on the couch with a tin of cookies looks up. " I did. . I think. . but it didn't work!"

Euphemia screeches. " James Potter you have some serious explaining and making to do.. not to me but that child-"

" It's a girl."

" You can't handle a girl!" Euphemia bellows, " I see what your like with Lily whenever someone flirts with her! Imagine what your going to be like with a daughter!"

"Hope that's supposed to be a good thing." Dawn says half heartily.

Euphemia nods instantly. "Oh it's all good my dear, don't worry."

For the hour that Dawn spend in the women's company she realized perhaps not all elderly people were bad. This women in front of her was so kind hearted, she spoke softly and allowed Dawn to speak when she wanted to. They spoke about quidditch, Dawn being put into the tournament, Dawn favorite type of cookies ( which by the was almond ), they spoke about Ethan and her friends. They spoke about anything and everything.

That was until Christmas dinner and Dawn stood up from her spot. The women softly clasped her hand.

"You take care of yourself, Dawn. I hope I'll be seeing you again! Hopefully next time with some cookies."

"You too-" Dawn tucks a strand of brown hair behind her ear and couldn't help but ask. "I'm sorry? I don't recall you giving me your name?"

"Oh! I know so much about you but you nothing of me!" she smiles broadly, and she couldn't help but notice her and Harry shared a lot of resemblances, "Euphemia Potter."

Dawn makes a slightly taken back expression.

James notices the face. "What's wrong?"

" I'm sorry it's just-that my er middle name actually." Dawn reveals bringing James to pause in his spot, she found it strange that his mums name was the same as her middle name. The name wasn't common but it was nice to see someone except her had the name. Her mother always told her that she found the name beautiful. " I've never met anyone with the same name. What a coincidence, eh?"

"Yeah a coincidence." Euphemia mentions with a half hearted laugh, she turns to her son then goes lowly, "Such a coincidence."

James sends her a fake smile. "Lovely al' name mum."

Euphemia sends her son a look.

"Mama Potter!" a voice interrupts booming loudly through the Potter household, a moment later Sirius is reveled, "there you are - Dawn. ."

She looks up.

"Well well, Christmas just got much more interesting. ." Sirius hums with a grin, before turning back to her.

Christmas dinner itself was very capricious.

Everyone had been polite to her and made her feel extremely comfortable. Dawn hadn't exactly experienced a Christmas with this many people and to be honest she enjoyed it. She enjoyed it a lot actually. Usally, it was just herself, mum and Dave but to be frank, she enjoyed the company of a big family.

Come to think of it, as she thought back to her own family, she felt rather guilty now.

She had left her mum and Dave alone. Although, they loved each other, she never really asked them if they minded her going.

For all she knew, this could be her last Christmas with them. However that was unlikely.

She frowns.

Dawn feels something hit her nose and instantly she looks up to see James who had thrown a pea at her pouting face.

He sends her a fake pouting look which made her smile.

"You alright?" he mouths to which she instantly smiles and nods.

She zones back into the conversation of Sirius who was trying to convince everyone he would be a great father, no one believed this however as ten minutes before he was complaining about how loud babies were.

If only Christmas was always like this.

▪▪▪▪▪

Out of the many individuals Dawn had met tonight and spoken with one person proved to be her favorite:

Fleamont Potter had proven to be her favorite.

In the back of the garden that had small hoops for quidditch throwing, she alongside Fleamont threw quaffles back and fourth to one another.

Sirius was behind the two sipping on his beer.

" So Fleamont. ." Dawn throws his the bludger. Dawn knew James clearly got his quidditch skills from him and made the, " You say you made the famous hair potion. Keeps curly hair tame."

"You'd think James be better at potions?" Sirius mentions with a smirk.

"You'd think he'd have better hair?" Dawn added.

Fleamont chuckles. " True words. You never said how you became so talented at quidditch?"

" My step father taught me, more or less but I practiced and practiced and now I'm where I am today." she explains swiftly, " Who taught you?"

"My father taught me, then I taught James." Fleamont chuckles, before softly throwing the quaffle back to her. "James was a natural, much like yourself."

Dawn cheeks tint at the compliment. " I am talented at Quidditch."

"Also quiet cocky like yourself." Sirius mumbles before adding. "Still is."

Dawn sat beside James on the couch a couple hours later. Marlene had 'stolen' her as Sirius put it. It was getting late, it was maybe just past one o clock. She yawned lightly as she rested her head in her hands.

Marlene was trying to make James try a spoon full of cinnamon.

" Your such a baby." Marlene sighs. Her painted red nails waving in his face.

"I am not a baby." James scoffed. "What happens if it kills me? I could die!"

"Then you die." Sirius shrugs. "Big deal."

Dawn looks at him. " Come on do it. What's the worst that can happen."

The moment James met those eyes he somehow ( against all his will ) found himself nodding.

Marlene and Sirius both rolls their eyes.

What's the worse that can happen? James replayed her soft statement in his head. What was the worst that could happen?

Like the idiot he stopped thinking about the cinnamon and started thinking about telling Dawn.

There she sat, big brown doe curious eyes that looked into his.

Tell her, James urges himself, what's the worse that could happen?

Before James could even say what he had intended to say, Marlene had reached across and shoved the cinnamon spoon right into his mouth.

His face went into instant displeasure and he coughed.

"Ew gross." Dawn murmurs.

James spits it out into the tissue. Dawn scrunched her nose up.

After a series of goodbyes to everyone Dawn waits out in the hallway putting her jacket on as she waits for James who offered to accompany her in the taxi. She had said goodbye to Harry earlier on, he had gone to bed because he had a headache from Marlene who was singing for the last hour.

She massively enjoyed tonight. It was probably one of her favorite nights.

The door opens and she turns and sees Lily who was holding a paper plate wrapped in tinfoil. She smiles ( awkwardly and shyly ) at Dawn. Lily Potter had been incredibly pretty, she noticed, she had fiery red hair and green eyes. Unusual looking, but pretty.

"I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to you privately tonight." Lily apologizes softly with sympathetic green eyes. She hands Dawn the pie in her hands, "I've been cooking and cleaning all day. I heard you like strawberries. This is an strawberry pie. I don't know if it's good or not-"

"Thank you! And I do. No it's fine, I was preoccupied most of the night anyway. Er thanks for inviting me."

"Yeah Yeah you can come over whenever you want!"

There was small silence after that. She keeps her eyes on a picture of a small-version of Harry wearing a quidditch jumper.

"That's a lovely photo." Dawn comments examining it.

"Thank you." Lily says tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she waits a moment unsure if she should keep talking but does, "It was a match for any student who was going to come to Hogwarts, Harry was maybe five or six but Hogwarts asked James to supervise-"

"Oh I remember." Dawn says. She vaguely remembered her mother telling her about her sneaking out and going to it. It was held closely to her house. "I went too. I stole a quidditch jumper from another player. Crazy day."

Lily thought back to the day:

October 1986, James Potter had volunteered to supervise the pre-Hogwarts quidditch game for young players.

Everything was going fine until one player in particular had been roughly shoving other children.

"He's playing too rough man, you gotta send him off."

James nods at the mans words before jogging into the center of the find where the boy was.

"Hey kid?" there was no response and the child instead ignored him.

James kneels down and with slight hesitation takes off his helmet.

However it had been a girl, not a boy. And kid you not when James said he had never seen a cuter child he meant it. She had big brown doe eyes, curly extremely messy hair, small heart shaped lips but most importantly she appeared happy that she was getting in trouble. Her uniform was hanging off her and James wondered how she got passed to play. She looked bold.

James held eye contact with the small girl for a few seconds.

She looks up at him and through the reflection of the sun and tilts her head curiously.

"Lil miss, now what are you doing playing so rough?"

Instead of offering a form of apology, she simply grins up at James and tilts her head.

"Mummy told me I can play whatever way I want! I'm an only child so I'm spoilt!"

Even her voice was absolutely adorable.

"I can see why." James comments looking down at her, he kneels down to her level, if he was his kid he would most likely give her anything she wanted, he tilts his head, " You do know this is an all boys quidditch match?"

Instead of answering she simply nods proudly up at him.

"Yes but mummy says I can be whatever I want! And right now she's sleeping, so I snuck out the front door and grabbed my bear and-and I came here and played quidditch. Momma says I'm a big girl."

She finished with a proud little smile.

James rose an eyebrow. "I think you're very small."

"Well you're old!"

James tilts his head in her direction as she places her hand on her hip.

"Well aren't you a sassy lil thing?" James chuckles, he reaches out and pushes a strand of brown hair behind the girls ear. "Listen, you're playing a little to tough and you hurt that boy over there's leg-"

"That boy hurt my arm first..." she tells him with a big pout, her lip starts to wobble and James knew any moment she was going to cry.

James hung his head low as the father of the boy waved harshly at James to send the kid off.

"I can't send her off!" James gestures beside him to where the little girl was slowly standing in the middle of the pitch.

"Rules are rules!"

He turns back over towards the girl.

"I have a special job for you, alright? And only you can do it because your a big girl remember?" he watches as she nods, "Alright so you are going to sit on the bench over there and help me write down the scores. . ."

Her bottom lip starts to pout. "A-And I don't play quidditch?"

"No but this is much more fun. And only you can do it because your the best at quidditch-"

She pauses. "Mummy does say I'm the best at quidditch."

Reluctantly she drops the miniature sized broom in her hands and James begins to walk away pressing she would follow.

A moment later he turns and sees she's still standing there and she raises her arms up.

He sighs but none the less bends down and picks up the small heightened child.

She grips his hair.

"My mummy tells me I have hair like spaghetti," her grip on his hair tightened, "Does your mummy tell you that too?"

James found the child incredible adorable. "Yes. My mum tells me I have pasta hair. Very like yours."

James stopped at the bench where Harry was sitting reading with his thick glasses on. "Blah-Blah-"

He sat up looking at his father the new child he had in his hands. He moved away when James put her down besides him, however, instead she raised her hands up.

James didn't sigh this time but none the less picked her back up and this time she had buried her head in his shoulder. James knew now, he couldn't put her back down.

Harry didn't seem to like this as he lifted his hands up for his father. James swoops down and lifts him into his other hand.

"Careful there James." Marlene warns after observing the to children, "You almost look like a father of two."

Harry looks at her warily. "Are you going to take picture of me?"

The girl shakes her head.

"Then we can be friends," Harry declares proudly and eyes her as if being his friends was an honor.

"What makes you sure I wanna be friends?" she retorted, swinging her feet as a sign she wanted to be put down. James softly drops her down. She brushes off her oversized quidditch jumper and gives James a final puzzled look.

"Old man." she murmurs before running away.

"Cute kid." James comments before bellowing out. "Not old though!"

Sadly, he would never realise that was the first moment he met his daughter.

▪▪▪▪▪

"You didn't have to walk me home."

"Please, the taxi driver dropped you almost eleven blocks."

On the streets of London, precisely around one o clock in the morning James and Dawn strolled towards her house which was about roughly five minutes away.

In both of their hands was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

" Your really not nervous about the task?"

"I. . don't really know." Dawn says chewing the sandwich in her hands, with a shrug that said she didn't care she added, "Suppose I'll see the day."

"You're a very laid back kid Dawn."

"Thanks. Can I ask you something?" her question was brought with an instant nod. "You are a millionaire, right? Why stay in Godric's hollow after everything that happened?"

He extends his hand. " Because no matter how big or small the house is, Godric's hollow is home."

"Someone should frame those words and put it in a museum."

"But we also have to be careful living in Godric's hollow."

"Why?"

"People are always around. I'm not really used to it, even now. Mostly because. . when I was a kid, your age more or less I could do whatever I wanted without being judged although some of the consequences are catching up on me now. On a normal day there's usual people snooping around the house, wanting a picture or autograph. Moral of the point is, I've always got to be careful what I'm saying or who I'm with. It's one of the sad perks of being. ."

"Famous." Dawn finishes off with a glance in his direction. He nods. "I'd hate that."

"Really?" he chews on the sandwich then arches an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I like my freedom. Take Harry for instance he could never sneak out without the entire press taking a picture of him and plastering it all over the news. Didn't he steal a car and everyone was super mad at it or something?"

"Fred and George Weasley convinced Harry and Ron they could show him how to drive a flying car." James chuckles at the memory, although back then he wasn't chuckling. " Didn't end well Lily threw a proper fit. Harry got grounded."

Dawn laughed. "Did you meet Lily when you were back in school?"

"I pined after her for like. . seven short years and once I actually stopped acted creepy and serenading her in front of everyone, she decided to take a chance on me, now we're married with a lil scar head called Harry."

Her laughter fills the cold breezily air. She hugs her jacket closer to her body.

"That's nice. Not the part about you stalking her but the end result is pretty cool."

He averts his eyes back onto the road. "Suppose you just have to give someone a chance. Never judge a book by it's cover as they say. . ."

"True words." Dawn hums, brushing her messy locks out of her face. "Was it easy to woah Lily back in your olden day?"

"I suppose. Back in my olden days, as you put it I was rather confident, I had this group of friends Sirius, Professor Lupin as you known him, myself and Peter at the time. The popular kids some might say, we were also known as the-"

"Marauders?" Dawn finished, her eyes beam up at him with mischief eyes. "I've been in three detentions this year, and every time Professor Snape makes me clean out old detention reports and your name has come up quite often, James."

He didn't let it show but the anger flooded through him:

Starting off, Professor Snape clearly was still the same shady, sleazy man he always.

And he had a grudge against Dawn which made him angry.

The night that James was about to tell Lily that he slept with Sarah, Severus Snape had already told his wife. Severus knows to this day that James slept with Sarah meaning there was a high chance he most likely knew that Dawn was James' child.

"Severus Snape is a total bitch."

"Woahhh." Dawn trails off her letters with a shocked expression, she pauses. " That was the first time I've heard the James Potter curse. I mean I didn't even know it was possible. Bi-"

James was quick to say. "Oh no please don't say that-"

"Bitch."

How James adored the girl beside him grinning mischievously up at him as if she knew that she was capturing his heart. James has two children and the both of them had been one of the main reason that James had gotten up each morning. She tilts her head as if waiting for him to respond and in the moment James could see how she truly had the Potter light hazel eyes unlike Harry, who inherited Lily's forest-green eyes, that he loved desperately.

"Your mum is going to kill me." James breathed out, his head hanging lowly.

Dawn smiles cheekily, "Bitch. ."

James opens his mouth but his lips twitch up in amusement.

"You can drop me off here if you want." she suggests with an aimless shrug. Her apartment was right around the corner and she wanted to go to the shop and buy sweets for the night. "My home is right around the corner."

"No freaking way." James puffs. "Number one, its cold out and you might die. And secondly, you could get murdered by a serial killer."

"Name one serial killer, you know." she challenges.

He didn't answer straight away but she did catch him mumble a short name. "Peter."

"You're talking about Peter Pettigrew." she points out. Everyone knew about that story.

James paused.

"I know the media writes all about how he betrayed us but no one really understands, just how it felt. He was our friend, our best friend. I thought of him like a little brother." James mentioned. She wondered if he was this open with everyone. She continues to listen to him. "And when we found out he betrayed us, it was probably one of the worst days of my life. I trusted him, I let him around Harry when he was a baby. I mean it's just crazy to think how he became."

Her eyebrows crease in confusion. "Didn't he escape Azkaban last year?"

James holds in a sharp breath and nods. "Y-Y. . yes he did."

James thought about the possibility that Peter would come after Dawn.

"Anyways, as I was saying you can go now if you want-"

James once again shook his head and narrows his eyes at the darkened neighborhood. They should put gates up here, he thinks, he wondered if it. " No no it's fine! Besides it's late out."

"Alright," Dawn announced, she looks over at James for a second before she notices the supermarket still open behind him. She awkwardly coughs then gestures towards it. "Well I need to go to the shop."

"I'm glad you said that."

Ten minutes later, James and Dawn emerged from the shop with a handful of sweets in both of their hands.

"You didn't have to pay," Dawn mentions although frankly she didn't mind. She rips open a packet of twirlers and begun chewing on the piece. James takes one and almost drops it. "Really."

He waves her off. "It's fine."

As the two bounded the final corner they arrived at her apartment. James pretended to never have been at the house. "Is this it?"

"Yup."

They both went inside and up the stairs until reaching the final door.

James desperately wanted to hug her but told himself that would be awkward on her behalf. Instead he offered her a smile and gestures towards her house.

"Thank you for coming tonight. It's nice to know Harry has some friends who aren't just trying to be famous. He cares about you a lot."

"Hard not to."

She stood by the door and extended her arms. James raised his hand for a high five, she eyed him warily before doing so. At the same time, the two did it again.

"I was going to hug but you made that incredibly awkward."

James scolded himself.

"I expect to see you at my second task." she informs him after ringing the doorbell, "I will be so disappointed if you don't show, I might even call you a little bitch-"

The door opens to reveal Sarah, who caught only the snippet of Dawn's word. She rose an eyebrow.

"It's all his fault." Dawn points a finger at James who raised his hands. "He taught me and it's surprising because he's old-"

"I'm not old." he interrupted.

"You can't tell...It's cause you're too old!" Dawn mentions from the front steps, she sends him a grin before calling. "Goodnight!"

"Night!" he immediately called with a grin on his face that faded once the view of his daughter was gone, and sadly James knew at the time he wouldn't be seeing her for another couple weeks.

Sarah watches the two. "Thank you for bringing her back."

"I didn't want her traveling back on her own." James mentions quietly, he frowns, then shrugs. "Don't think I'd be able to sleep until I see her actually go inside."

"Weird isn't it?"

"Very."

Sarah nods. "Did she enjoy tonight?"

"Hard to tell. She was smiling majority of the time. My parents met her- adored her. The only bad thing is that I think she might prefer my dad over me. It was really nice to have her there."

"Oh that's harsh. Surprising as well, Dawn doesn't like the elderly."

James gestures behind him. "I'm sorry. I should probably get going. Thank you for today, I know, it must have been hard for you to let her stay with me for Christmas but thank you for giving me a chance."

Sarah nods and James was about to leave before she calls him back. "James wait-"

James turned around confused.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Dawn. It was a stupid decision. I was young and every year I told myself I would tell you, but as the years went on I just stopped. I thought I was doing it for her best interest but now I've realized there's part of her that's always going to wonder." Sarah explains with genuine reason behind her words. "And I know that the father figure she needs is you and always should have been."

James couldn't forgive her for telling Dawn he left but, he with that being said he also wasn't expecting Sarah to forgive him for, up and leaving after they slept together.

"And I will be. I want to be in her life as much as possible."

"Oh James, I don't think you know how much you're already in her life."

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This chapter was so long please let me know if you see any spelling mistakes!!

Dawn's younger faceclaim is played BY LEXI RABE.