A/N: Oh yeah, new Harry Potter story! Don't know how long it's going to be or how it's going to end yet. :) I always write best when I just wing it.
Anyways...enjoy!
Like Father Like Son
Chapter 1 - The Beginning
"Potter streaks up the pitch, dribbling through the defenders. Fakes a pass, jukes a defender. Spins around the sweeper, Potter only has to beat the goalie now! Potter comes down the middle of the box, the goalie's out there to meet the ball! Potter pulls a move, the keeper is down! The goal is open, the goal is open! Potter buries it in the back of the net! Arsenal wins! Arsenal wins!"
8-year-old Miranda Potter pumped her fists in the air and ran in circles, laughing out loud. 17-year-old Harry Potter grabbed the star of their one-on-one soccer match and picked her up, setting her on his shoulders. He ran in circles as his sister gave the imaginary crowd bows and waves, laughing the whole time. When they had finally settled down, the two lay side-by-side on the grass, watching the clouds drift lazily through the sky.
"Let's play again!" Miranda exclaimed.
"Again?" questioned Harry exasperatedly. He loved his youngest sister, he really did, but they had played three games already! She was running him ragged!
"It's too hot," complained Harry. "Why don't we join Rory in the pool? I bet you she's bored in there all by herself."
"Rory's boring though!" Miranda whined. "All she does is read! She never wants to play!"
That's because it's too bloody hot, Harry thought in his head. Out loud, he said, "Come on, she's not boring. She just likes to relax. Playing sports is our thing and reading is her thing."
"Then let's play another game!" Miranda exclaimed excitedly, sitting up. "Let Aurora read!"
"Not today," said Harry, putting his foot down. "I'm done with football for the day. Let's just relax in the pool."
Miranda's face became thoughtful. She asked, "More football tomorrow then, okay?"
Harry looked down at his lap, not wishing to see the look of pain on his sister's face that would surely come when he finished his next statement. "Miranda, you know...I'm leaving tomorrow, remember? I have to go to school again."
And even though Harry wasn't looking at her, he knew she was on the verge of tears just by the tone of her voice. "But you went to school last year!" she cried.
"I know," said Harry soothingly, trying to calm his sister down. He hated it when she cried because of him. "But this is my last year, then we can play all the football and quidditch and rugby you want."
"But Harry," said Miranda quietly, causing Harry to look up into her eyes, which were wide with awe. "Mum says I'm not allowed to go on a broom until I've had my first lesson at Hogwarts!"
Harry just barely stopped himself from laughing at how cute and innocent she was. Ah, the simple life of an eight-year-old. "She trusts Madam Hooch over Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain?" Harry asked in mock-disbelief. He winked at Miranda. "What mum doesn't know won't hurt her."
"What don't I know that won't hurt me?" asked a stern voice from behind the pair.
Harry gulped, turning around and looking up into the emerald eyes he had inherited. "Er...um...you see..." he said, quailing under the look his mother was giving him. "I-I was just joking! Y-yes...that's it!"
"Harry and I are going to play Quidditch next summer!" Miranda exclaimed, jumping up and down in glee. So much for that, Harry thought to himself miserably.
Lily's eyes flashed dangerously, and Harry stood up, holding his hands up sheepishly. "Come on, Mum. This'll be my third year as Quidditch Captain! Surely I can do just as good a job as Madam Hooch!"
"We don't have a Madam Pomfrey here at home though, do we?" Lily asked rhetorically, jabbing a finger into her son's chest.
She had given Harry the perfect opportunity to brown-nose. "No, but we have you," he said as earnestly as he could, hoping this would work.
Harry could see that his mum was about to say something along the lines of, "Aww, that was so sweet, Harry," any second now. But then the expression changed to that of one who knew Harry's tricks inside and out.
Her eyes narrowed, and despite being a good five inches shorter than her oldest child, she seemed to tower over him. She somehow stared him down while glaring up at him. "I know what you're trying to do, Harry, and it's not going to work," she said quietly. "I didn't give up to James when it came to you learning to fly, so I'm definitely not going to crumble to you."
"Come on, mum," pleaded Harry. "We're nine years apart, sports is the only thing we have in common! You don't want us to grow apart, do you?"
"Oh, please," scoffed Lily. "You're closer to Lily than you are to Rory or Dan. You've maintained that relationship without Quidditch so far. I think it can last."
"She's a female version of me," said Harry, grasping for straws. "I already know she's going to be a natural."
"That is true," said Lily thoughtfully.
Harry, seeing a weakness in his mum's defenses, exploited it. "And so, being like me, it'd probably be better for me to be there to teach her than for her to steal dad's broom in the middle of the night and fly it around on her own," he said, grinning.
"You did not, Harry James Potter!" exclaimed Lily, appalled.
"You really think I wouldn't, mum?" he replied, his grin now a smirk. "She's going to do it anyway," Harry said ominously.
Lily finally broke. "Fine," she huffed. "But you better have James with you to help, or you'll have me to answer to," she said dangerously.
It was the best he was going to get. "Deal," he said.
"No, no deal," said Lily, her hands on her hips. "A deal implies that you have a choice to negotiate the terms. You either have your dad there with you to help or you don't teach her at all, it's as simple as that."
With that, Lily apparated away, probably back to the kitchen of their house in Godric's Hollow where she was just starting to prepare dinner. Miranda, who had been watching the scene with a hopeful look on her face, started clapping and hugged her brother around the waist. "Thanks, Harry! You're the best!"
"I know I am," said Harry, grinning.
"Psst."
"What was that?" asked Harry, looking for the source of the noise.
"Psssssssssst," came the noise again.
"Over there!" said Miranda, pointing to the bushes.
The two walked over there, neither of them surprised to see their dad's face appear from one of the bushes. He put a finger to his lips and motioned for them to join him, which they did eagerly. Their dad only got like this when he was ready to pull a prank. "I saw what happened out there, son," said James quietly after Harry and Miranda had gotten situated as comfortably as they could. "Way to stay strong. It's the only way to deal with her."
"Then why do you always give in to her when she smiles at you?" Harry teased his dad, delighted when he looked away and cleared his throat.
"Because I can't think straight when she does it," replied James helplessly. "But enough about that," he said quickly. "What do you say we catch Aurora off-guard?"
"I think that's a fantastic idea," said Harry. "What's the plan?"
After hearing the plan, the two male Potters put it into action while the youngest member of the family watched in glee.
First, Harry sent a banishing charm toward the head of the air lounger Aurora was floating on, making it spin rapidly. Aurora managed to hold on, waiting until the spinning finished before looking around for the culprit. Harry hit it with another one a few seconds later, making his oldest sister spin in circles again. "Harry...dad!" Aurora called after her spinning had stopped once again. "Will you just let me read in peace?" she asked indignantly. She pulled her book roughly up to her face again after looking around for a few more seconds, obviously thinking her wish had been respected.
But she hadn't noticed two things while she had been spinning. The first, that a water-repelling charm had been cast on her book by Harry, and second, that a quarter of the pool water was floating three feet above her, levitated by James. With a thumbs up, James let the water go, completely drenching Aurora, who screamed.
"You. Complete. Gits!" she yelled, treading water as Harry, Miranda, and James all busted out laughing.
As Harry laughed, he couldn't help but feel that it was a perfect day. His mum and dad had taken the day off from work to hold a family-only going-back-to-school party for him, 14-year-old Aurora, and 12-year old Daniel, who was inside watching television.
And despite how much he loved his family, Harry felt that a major factor to his perfect day was the fact that school was starting the next day.
After two long months, he would finally get to see her again.
***LFLS***
Crack!
The Potter family appeared directly in Platform 9¾, the three eldest children with their luggage. "Alright, kids," said James. "Have a good school year, don't get into too much trouble."
"James, dear," said Lily much too innocently. "Don't you mean 'Have a good school year, don't get into any trouble'?"
"Right," said James, grinning and winking at his children. "Precisely what I meant to say."
"That's what I thought," replied Lily, also winking at her children.
After hugs and kisses and a teary goodbye from Miranda...well, more than a little teary; Harry, Daniel, and Aurora all got on the train, each going their separate ways to join their friends. At least, that's what Daniel and Aurora did. Harry, on the other hand, went straight to the prefects' compartment, where he was required to go to fulfill his Head Boy duties. He was actually quite eager to go to this meeting, because there was no doubt in Harry's mind that she was Head Girl.
Harry stopped right outside the compartment, taking a deep breath. It was now time to switch from family mode to school mode...he did have a reputation to keep up, after all.
He ruffled his hair a bit and checked how his breath smelled. It was good; he was ready. He put his trademark smirk on his face and sauntered into the compartment, flopping onto the seat right next to the Head Girl, who was reading a book.
Apparently a little too close for comfort. She sighed, looking at Harry out of the corner of her eye. "Honestly, Potter, the train hasn't even started moving yet and you're already harassing me? Can't you at least make the train ride off-limits?"
"I'm not harassing you, Granger," said Harry, grinning at her.
Hermione rolled her eyes and asked, "Then what are you doing in here? Don't tell me Dumbledore actually let you keep your prefect position."
"Nope," said Harry.
"Thank Merlin," said Hermione, looking relieved. "If I had to go through another meeting with-"
"Even better," interrupted Harry, pointing to the badge on his chest. "Say hello to your partner in upholding the school rules."
Hermione's jaw dropped. "No way...he actually...you...this isn't some kind of joke, is it? Not another stupid attempt to make a fool out of me?"
"'Course not," said Harry. "It's the real deal."
Hermione let her head fall back and her book drop in her lap. "I was afraid you were going to say that," she said miserably.
"Come on, Granger, I'm not really that bad, am I?" Harry teased, noticing a few prefects filing into the compartment and looking at their Head Boy and Girl in interest.
"Honestly?" asked Hermione, raising one eyebrow. "Yes."
Harry looked thoughtfully at her before his face brightened up. "You know what I just realized, Granger? This is the longest conversation we've ever had! Now will you go out with me?"
"Are you really that daft?" asked Hermione. "You think I'll want to go out with you now that you've managed to keep me in a conversation-a completely stupid conversation, might I add-for longer than twenty seconds?"
Harry grinned at her. "Come on, Granger. You know you can't resist me. What is there to not like about me?"
Hermione grimaced in disgust. "Well, your ego for one. And don't forget-"
"Hermione," a voice interrupted. The two turned to look over at a sixth-year prefect named Luna Lovegood. "You might want to hold off on the list for now or the train ride will be over before we even start the meeting."
Hermione grinned smugly at Harry. "Right you are, Luna." She stood up and faced the prefects. "Now, today we are going to-"
Harry tuned out what Hermione was saying and just watched her talk. Never in his life had he seen a woman so elegant and beautiful, inside and out. He had noticed it before anybody else, all the way back in fourth year. And ever since fourth year, Hermione had rejected him or spurned his advances time and time again. Harry was still pretty much clueless as to why.
No matter though, thought Harry. She'll come to her senses this year. Because no matter what, she will be mine.
A/N: So, what do you guys think so far? Please let me know in a review!