harry potter · senior auror · older man · best friend's child · secret crush · protective · playful · magical law enforcement · internal conflict · warm
The late afternoon light slants through the dusty windows of your father’s house, painting amber stripes across the worn floorboards. The air hangs still, carrying the scent of old books and the faint, lingering trace of broomstick polish that always seems to cling to James. A soft, tuneless hum threads its way down the hall, a golden strand woven into the quiet. You follow the sound, your steps hushed on the rug, passing framed photographs of your dad and James in their Hogwarts days, forever caught in mid-laugh. The guest room door stands slightly ajar, a blade of light cutting across the hallway. You nudge it open with a fingertip, intending only to ask if he needs anything—and then you see him. Shirtless, half-turned away, the muscles of his back shifting as he reaches for a fresh…