Just The Girl

Just the Girl

Chapter One

Male Bonding

James Potter was sleeping soundly in his king size bed peacefully. His life was always so peaceful and quiet. Even after Lily gave birth to Harry. Which came as a shock, for countless people had informed him that he would never sleep and his `peaceful' lifestyle wouldn't come back till' Harry went to Hogwarts. Fortunately, Lily and James did good and brought in a miniature James. He looked exactly like his father except Harry had his mum's brilliant green eyes. He also inherited one more thing from his good old dad.

As a baby, James chose to observe things and not make a fuss. He learned that only brought to much attention. Harry Potter was no exception. Except, he did like a little bit of attention from his adoring mother. Who constantly fawned over him and showered him with kisses. So, he would whine when he felt that his mum was spending to much time with James.

James gave a soft snore when his wife kneed him in the back. “James!” He grunted. “James! James, please!” He noticed the distress in her voice and immediately shot up in their bed.

“What is it, love?”

“You have to take Harry,” Lily answered giving baby Harry to him, which he gladly took. “Please.” He knew she added that for good measure, but it didn't matter. He would do anything for her. “He's been up since 12:30 and it's 1:49 and…and…and I'm so tired.” James could see her struggling to keep her tears in check.

“It's okay,” he reassured her soothingly. “Go to bed. I'll take care of everything. I promise.” Lily nodded and crawled underneath the covers.

“I fed him, burped him, changed him, rocked him, talked to him and sang to him. I did everything. I don't know what's left to do.” James leaned down and kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes. They locked eyes for a moment and James thought that it was the most appropriate time to steal a kiss. As he leaned down Harry broke into a fit.

“You know what little man,” James warned. “You and I are going to have a talk about this timing of yours. I know you're protective of your mum, but I'll let you know that we're not doing anything new. Trust me, buddy, we've done everything.” That earned him a good kick on his right leg. “Watch it woman,” he said half-jokingly. “My mum told me as a child that she wanted three grandchildren. I would like to fulfill her wishes, thank you very much.”

“If it wasn't for me you would have zero children,” Lily said as she closed her eyes and snuggled into the pillow. “So you watch it.” She smiled at her husband with her eyes half-closed but she did catch the smile that he sent back. “I love you James,” she murmured against the pillow.

“I love you to, Lils.” Harry looked at James with his bright green eyes; which were wide open, looking at his father curiously. Then he reached down for his mother with his little chubby hand, but James quickly grabbed it. “No, no,” James told Harry as they headed out the door to Harry's nursery. “You've worn your mummy out. She's tired like you were when Uncle Sirius and I took you to that Quidditch game. Do you remember, huh? You were all tuckered out and your mum ripped me a new one. `Why would you take a five month old baby to a Quidditch game, James Potter? Don't you roll your eyes at me! I'm talking to you! Now answer me!' and what does she do when I answer her? Throws a vase at my head and says `Did I ask you to talk? No, I don't think that I did!'” James and Harry entered the blue nursery and Harry tilted his heads back to look at the clouds on the ceiling.

“Do you like those?” James asked his son. Harry looked back at his dad and stared for a moment before touching his dad's lips. “Your mum thought you would. She went on and on, about how you needed something to look at besides the ugly blue that I picked out. I'll tell you, women are bad. Get them pregnant and their even worse. All those hormones, and those late night cravings, and the crying for nothing, and `I'm so fat, James. How do you still love me?' But, you were worth it. Yes you were.” Harry looked back down as James sat in the rocking chair next to Harry's cradle and scrunched up his face.

“Now none of that,” his dad said. “None of that crying business that stressed out your mum. Besides, Potter's are far too handsome to cry. Yes, we are. Now, I know how much of a shock this is going to come to you, but your mum, didn't always think I was handsome.” Harry looked up at his dad. “I know, I know. I thought the same thing. I should have given up on her, but I couldn't. I wouldn't. She was just the girl for me. Her beauty, brains, wit, compassion, friendliness, I could really go on and on about how wonderful your mum is, but you already know that don't you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be so attached to her.”

She was the only person who could make me laugh, smile, and angry,” James looked down at his son who was looking back at him intently. “I'm going to tell you about a time when your mum wasn't so willing to let me kiss her. Nope, no kiss. You would have liked that time wouldn't you? You wouldn't have to protect her from me, would you?” Harry just blinked. “You see, your mum had loads of friends. She was nice to everyone except for me and Uncle Sirius, back then we were Potter and Black.”

She's cold and she's cruel

But she knows what she's doin'

“Back when we were Potter and Black your mum pushed me into the lake. Her exact words were `Go take a swim with the Giant Squid, Potter.' See, the reason she did that was because I told her that one day I would get her to go out with me. I didn't know how at the time, because all of my attempts she had shot straight to hell, but I knew that one day I would.”

She pushed me in the pool

At our last school reunion

She laughs at my dreams

But I dream about her laughter

Strange as it seems

She's the one I'm after

“Don't get me wrong I tried to get her attention in other ways loads of time, but they were exactly the right way about it. I didn't think that then of course, but now I know that I made a complete fool of myself and your mum had every right to push me into the lake. Uncle Sirius and Peter told me to give up on her and find someone else after every time she said `no' but I was determined. Determined to make her see what a great person I was. She was just the girl for me. She still is.”

Cause she's bittersweet

She knocks me off my feet

And I can't help myself

I don't want anyone else

She's a mystery

She's to much for me

But I keep coming back for more

She's just the girl I'm looking for

“Over my long, pathetic years of studying your mum, I noticed that she could never keep a secret. Your mum always has to tell somebody. It could be a complete stranger and she wouldn't care. As long as she got it off her chest. She still can't, that's why I know that Sirius is your biological father,” James told Harry. Harry scrunched up his face again and his eyes began to water. “I'm kidding, I'm kidding. If that were the case, you would not have an Uncle Sirius. He'd be six feet under and I'd be in Azkaban.” Harry laid his head against James' bare chest and stuck his thumb in his mouth, satisfied with his father's answer. “That's a really bad habit, bud. I would know. Anyways… surprisingly, your mum used to ignore me and avoid me like the plague. I loved it when she would ignore me though, I know that's kind of weird, you would think that it would make me like her less, but nope. It made her more beautiful to me.”

Harry looked up at his dad and gave him a quizzical look. “I know. Even though she would ignore me and call me some pretty nasty names and refuse all of my date requests I would do anything for her. I still would and she knows it. I think she used it to her advantage when she got pregnant with you. `James, I'm really craving a chocolate frog. James, a butterbeer sounds really good right now. Would you be a dear and go get one for the baby and me? James, be a dear and…. James?

She can't keep a secret

For more than an hour

She runs on one hundred proof attitude power

And the more she ignores me

The more I adore her

What can I do

I'd do anything for her

Cause she's bittersweet

She knocks me off my feet

And I can't help myself

I don't want anyone else

She's a mystery

She's to much for me

But I keep coming back for more

She's just the girl I'm looking for

“I used to call out her name and she'd stop until she noticed that it was me and then she continued on her way, but I was determined. Back then, I was determined to make her mine. Now, I'm just determined to keep her, but now that I got you I know she isn't going anywhere. Maybe for good measure I'll still be that good husband that she raves to all of her friends about. You know as much as she hated me and thought that I never listened to a word that left her mouth, I always listened. I never forgot anything she ever said and I hated it. All summer I would hear her voice and let me tell you, buddy, they were not nice things. Too much profanity for your little ears.”

The way she sees it's me

On her caller I.D.

She won't pick up the phone

She'd rather be alone

But I can't give up just yet

Cause every word she's ever said

Still ringing in my head

Still ringing in my head

She's cold and she's cruel

But she knows what she's doin'

Knows just what to say

So my whole day is ruined

Cause she's bittersweet

She knocks me off of my feet

And I can't help myself

I don't want anyone else

She's a mystery

She's to much for me

But I keep coming back for more

Cause she's bittersweet

She knocks me off my feet

And I can't help myself

I don't want anyone else

She's a mystery

She's to much for me

But I keep coming back for more

Oh, I keep coming back for more

She's just the girl I'm looking for

Just the girl I'm looking for

I'm looking for

I'm looking for

I'm looking for

“To make a long, embarrassing story short, I bugged her to no end and she finally agreed to give your old dad here a chance. I believe that her exact words were `Fine Potter! Since you can't take no for an answer I'll give you one chance! One! You screw it up and never ask again.' Well, you are living proof that I didn't screw it up, but I was late…” James looked down at Harry and smiled. He was fast asleep with his thumb still located in his mouth. “You're such a cute little bugger.” James carefully picked up his son and placed him in his crib. “Maybe our first date will have to be tomorrow's bedtime story. Goodnight buddy.”

Just the girl I'm looking for…

A/N: Comments are appreciated!

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