Closed Blast from the past

[Professor James Cade]

James loved Halloween, his office, classroom and lounge had all been decorated the past week to fit the occasion. Unfortunately, in an effort to be taken serious at the event he had opted not to dress up. Sometimes, being an authority figure really didn’t suit James. It had been Lyra’s idea for the two of them to perform ‘chaperone’ duty and while James didn’t like the idea of essentially working on his favourite night of the year, he did like the idea of being able to keep an eye in his kids, as well nieces and nephews, and see what they got up to. James waited for Lyra in the Great hall as things were just getting started. It felt eerily like stepping back in time to the few occasions Lyra had been his default date to such school events, they were a long way from those days and now James just wanted to have a fun night with his friend and colleague, and maybe embarrass one of his kids, or two.

 

[Kiera Potter-Cade]

Wrong character.

 

[Lyra Potter]

Lyra Potter had always loved a good party, but she especially loved Halloween. It had claimed the spot as her favorite holiday once Christmas had become her least favorite holiday. She loved the Halloween aesthetic and everything that came with it. As a general rule, Lyra never missed the opportunity to celebrate any occasion, so she’d bullied James into attending the dance with her. Not that she’d had to twist his arm too much to get him to agree. The idea of embarrassing their kids had been tempting enough.

The brunette made her way down to the Great Hall at the beginning of the evening. It was decorated much like she remembered it, and a grin crept across her face as she surveyed the room. It didn’t appear like her children had arrived yet, but James had. Lyra made her way to him with a mischievous smile on her face. She had opted to not wear a costume. Instead, she wore an all black mini dress with a leather jacket with studded sleeves. “There’s my favorite brother in law. Has anyone tried to spike the punch yet?” Lyra joked as she approached him. She leaned in and greeted him with a quick kiss on the cheek much like she would with Link. “This is very deja vu, isn’t it?”

 

[Professor James Cade]

James laughed in agreement, being back at Hogwarts in general with Lyra made him feel like a teenager again in moments but being in the Great hall during the Halloween feast felt like they were reliving very specific moments from their school years. “Eery isn’t it?” The kiss on the cheek was a surprise, their relationship had come along way from what it had been as kids but the one thing they’d always agreed on was how good they were together. Lyra ending up as in his sister in law felt like right, even if he wished she’d married anyone other than Ezra. She’d always felt like family.

“Not yet, let me know if you see anyone so we can be sure to look the other way,” He laughed. Whoever decided James and Lyra would make good professor’s needed their heads checked. “Everyone seems so small, were we really this small when we were going through all our school drama? Merlin it felt like end of the world type stuff back then didn’t it,”

 

[Lyra Potter]

Lyra laughed in agreement with James. She couldn’t help but think of the last time they were here together during their sixth year. The drama that particular night had definitely felt like the end of the world at the time. “It’s weird how much things change, isn’t it? I never would have expected the lives we both gave now back then. Even now, I half expect Felix to waltz in.” Lyra admitted. Being back at school had brought back a lot of good memories she had long forgotten. “I hope none of our kids show up in costumes like mine back then. I can't imagine what my mother would have done if she saw my outfits. Poor Aunt Cyndi. She had it rough as our Head of House. I don’t think I truly appreciated what all we put her through until this moment.” Lyra with another laugh. A memory came to mind of this night when her aunt had caught them in a very compromising position in the Gryffindor dorms. It felt like eons ago now.

 

[Professor James Cade]

The time they spent together at Hogwarts did feel like a lifetime ago and yet being in the school together again it felt like just yesterday. It had brought back a lot of good memories, but good memories could be painful and he knew Lyra would have appreciated that sentiment if he had shared it. It was better to focus on the lighter moments after all, they were there to have fun and embarrass their kids, no need to get bogged down. “I know, I seem to remember appreciating your outfits that's for sure,” He laughed. Appreciating her looks had never been an issue in their relationship. “I don’t know how Cyndi did it, was the head of house for some of her own family, two of my kids are in Gryffindor and that’s about all I can take, but I don’t think I could handle it if any of my kids dressed like you used to at these things,”

 

[Lyra Potter]

Lyra laughed at James' comment and rolled her green eyes. She was confident in her appearance when she was a teenager, and that confidence was one of the things she knew Ezra had been attracted to in the beginning. "James, darling, I hate to break it to you, but you have....what is it now...six daughters? Yeah, the odds really are not in your favor here. They are becoming teenagers. I think you'll get off easy with Bailey and Millie, but Veronica on the other hand...." Lyra teased him, laughing again. She adored all of her nieces, but Veronica reminded her more of herself at that age. "Let's just hope Kiera doesn't turn out like me or she will give you a run for your money in a few years." she joked with her brother in law. In all honesty, it made her feel much better to know that James would be leading Gryffindor House and looking out for her kids.

 

[Professor James Cade]

James knew it was incredibly hypocritical of him to compliment’s Lyra’s choice of outfits when they had been in school and the dread the same thing happening with his own daughters. He knew that, but he still didn’t relish the thought of his own daughters dressing like she occasionally had, the shoe was very much on the other foot and James didn’t like it. Having children really did have a way of bring up your own hypocrisies. “Merlin, don’t,” It was difficult to predict how any of his daughters would handle their teenage years. So far, he didn’t think he had much to worry about with Bailey, she got the prefect badge and was a good student by all accounts, Millie lived in the library most days, Veronica was a bit of a wildcard as Lyra pointed out, the rest were thankfully too young to worry about. The boys gave him different headaches, not to mention the added stresses of Ezra and Lyra’s kids and Tori. He only had himself to blame.

“Lets hope Kiera doesn’t relive the trauma of having their relative walk in on them in a compromising position, I don’t think either of us would be able to live it down,”

 

[Lyra Potter]

Lyra had known James long enough that she did get some joy out of watching him squirm uncomfortably at the thought of his daughters becoming teenagers. She knew James liked the way she dressed back then, but he wouldn't enjoy his own children dressing that way. Lyra's goal had always been to be cool Aunt Lyra that they loved, but that would probably change if she ever ended up at Hogwarts as a full time professor. The grin on her face quickly turned into a grimace at what she thought might be the most embarrassing moment of her entire life. Followed closely by James and Maddie walking in on her and Felix at the Cade Christmas party during their sixth year. "Oh, god. No. Don't remind me. That was mortifying. I couldn't look Aunt Cyndi in the eye for ages. Not to mention how I had to beg her not to tell my mom. Most embarrassing moment in my life, I think." Lyra said with a groan.

 

[Professor James Cade]

James laughed as Lyra reiterated how mortifying the experience had been for her. It had been different for him, as much as he had always admired Professor Kingsley she wasn’t his family, and there was no danger of the event getting back to his family, though both his parents had died by that point. Cyndi had probably seem a lot worse in her time as a professor, but to be her niece in that situation? Mortifying. “Exactly, imagine being Cyndi in that situation? No thanks, I’ll pass,” James shook his head. He had too many children running around school to rule out the possibility of him walking in on something and Lyra’s take that Veronica was the most likely made it worse because she was in Gryffindor, he could actually walk in on something. Hopefully she stayed out of the boys dorms. “I mean we all do dumb stuff as kids right? At least our most embarrassing moments are from school and we’re still not making mistakes as adults…choice of husbands not withstanding,” James grinned at her, never able to pass on an opportunity to make a dig at his brother.

 

[Lyra Potter]

Lyra had never really considered being Cyndi in that situation, but James was right. She never wanted to be in that position with her own kids or her nieces and nephews. “I think it was equally horrifying for both of us. You should probably stay out of the dorm area then. It’s the safer choice. I know I spent a lot time in the boys’ dorm room.” Lyra pointed out. She’d been in there often when she was dating James, but she thought she’d spent more nights in the boys’ dorm with Lanithro than her own room in the months following her mother’s death. Lyra laughed at his comment and nodded her head. “I think I did a lot of dumb stuff as a kid. Thankfully, we grew out of it.” Lyra agreed. “Hey now, don’t pick on Ez. He’s the reason you have the best sister in law ever though I don’t think he planned it that way.” the brunette joked. She knew Ezra never intended to fall in love or get married, but it had just happened. Despite Lyra’s best attempts to push him away, he’d never wavered. He knew what he wanted, and he got her to marry him in the end. Something she had been adamantly against after her mom died.

 

[Professor James Cade]

“Yeah, I think I got off light by comparison, though it was kinda hard to look her in the eye for a while thankfully she didn’t hold it against me, I can’t say I’d be as forgiving,” He couldn’t, and didn’t want to, imagine himself being in her position. His first thought went to how it would feel to walk in on one of his daughters, but really any of his kids would be embarrassing. Veronica might be the most likely to wear an outfit James wish he could unsee, at least according to Lyra, but if anyone was gonna do something James wished he’d never have walked in on it would probably be Lumos. Thankfully, he was a few years away from that kind of trouble. “I will say this for Ezra, he clearly has excellent taste in women, even if I did see you first,”

 

[Lyra Potter]

Lyra grinned at James and nodded her head. “We were lucky it was Aunt Cyndi. She’s forgiving, and she can keep a secret which I was grateful for.” Though Lyra certainly understood James’s position on the matter, she didn’t think she’d ever be able to say anything to her kids after everything she had done as a teenager. Poor James had a whole house of kids to worry about. Lyra laughed as James commented on her husband’s choice in women and that he had Lyra first. “Of course, I agree with you there. The Cade men have excellent taste. I think Ezra does consider that his biggest victory in this brotherly competition you guys have. He did ask me once how on earth you managed to get me to go out with you. ” Lyra teased. James and Ezra had always competed with each other. At least now it was a friendly competition and not the cut throat competition she’d witnessed prior to her romantic relationship with Ezra.