01. video (~backdated)

[bespectacle]

Hello. Hi-- my name is Harry Potter.

[The boy-- young man, really, who sits in front of the camera presents with round-lensed spectacles and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, which is barely visible under the tousle of his very black forelocks. Something about the whiteness of his face and the uneven press of his lips suggests that what he has to say is very difficult for him; it is.

Blood has been thundering his ears for the past hour; since Draco Malfoy let slip Professor Snape's name so casually. As if-- as if.] I'm looking for someone. Well, two someones, really. There's, um, a man-- he'll look a lot like me. No scar, [he thumps the heel of his hand on his forehead demonstratively,] but he'll have black hair and he'll be really thin. I'm also looking for a woman. She'll have red hair and green eyes. Their names are James and Lily. James and Lily Potter.

[A beat.]

I've got a picture, right here. [A slight fiddling of the camera, and then he raises up the black-and-white photograph to see, its image curiously animate.

The couple depicted therein are smiling, their faces alive with sincere mirth; the wind picks up and twirls Lily's desaturated hair a little, doesn't put a dent in James' rumpled mop, but doesn't make it much worse either. Harry holds it up long enough for the camera to focus; long enough for the breeze to go through twice, for James to swing her around twice, for Lily to dip at the waist twice, her fingers tight around her husband's. Then Harry again. He's gotten whiter since the last time he was in the screen.] Please let me know if you've seen them here. Cheers.

[OOC:] Please consider this backdated near Jump day.

Comments

[Video] 1/3

[sophically]

Harry? When did you - [Needless to say her heart is in her throat. She tries her best to keep her eyes open for those from their world and yet, somehow, she missed him.]

[Video] 2/3

[sophically]

Where are you? How are you? [She supposes he has retained some of his previous memories, though she has only met Lily personally.]

[Video] 3/3

[sophically]

Your mother is...fine, I think. I haven't spoken to her directly in awhile.

But your father...

He hasn't been onboard since I arrived, which was months ago.

[bespectacle]

Hermione--!

[The color comes back to Harry's face, or at least some of it. Off-screen, she can hear a meow. Which he'll get to in just a moment I promise just] You've seen her. That's-- brilliant. It's all right, I almost can't believe even one of them is here. She's-- I can't believe it, Hermione.

Did you know Malfoy's here too?

[sophically]

[The change brings a small, tentative smile to her lips. She hates seeing him looking so pale and tense. Harry is family now and she has come to adore Lily too. The idea of them being reunited brings small tears to her eyes.]

She's wonderful. The first time we spoke, I couldn't help thinking how much you take after her. [Connections are important. She knows Harry clings to them - and, for once, she can give him one that will last.] Who - ?

[That meow is familiar and she scans the screen quickly before blinking.]

I do. I haven't spoken with him much. Did you fight?

MEANWHILE

[darkart]

[ Being a ~brilliant potioneer~ isn't all fun and glamor, shocking, and sometimes (a lot of times) it's tedious and involves a lot of organizing, counting, carefully peeling toxic nonsense, and etc. Which is what the dysfunctional dynamic duo have been doing for a new jump, and at this exact moment, Severus is cleaning up the bleeding remains of heartblossoms; Lily is nearby, waiting on him to finish so they can move on. ]

[lightmagic]

[ Well, they're dynamic in their dysfunctionality. Or the flip. It's hard to tell sometimes. They've gotten a majority of sorting done for now, and there's little left once they do move on. Lily is, thankfully, nothing if not patient, though her glance does shift from Severus' back so that she can give the network a once-over while she has a moment.

The blood drains from her when she comes upon Harry's posting, leaving her feeling cold. How could she have missed him? Her grip tightens; maybe it's good that the communicators seem to be engineered so sturdily. ] Shit.

[ —Eloquently. Maybe she's going crazy, maybe the ship is being cruel again. She wonders, wildly, why Harry would be looking for them after being so insistently independent before. Harry's voice coming out of her communicator is quiet and tinny because she has the volume low. She doesn't think about James, or about how happy they look in the picture, or how Harry got it, or anything else: ] I'm losing my mind.

[darkart]

[ He thinks, first, maybe she nicked her hand moving a knife or forgot something-- Severus looks up and he's curious, not alarmed, and then. That. ]

You're not losing your mind, [ he says quietly, grabbing a towel and roughly getting deep red residue off his hands as he moves to her shoulder instead of bothering with his own communicator. Whatever it is, she isn't, it'll just be the ship doing something stupid or a marauder doing something stupid or some other damn (stupid) thing.

His insides go cold. If it's Potter I'll kill him is a very clear if slightly hysterical and utterly ridiculous thought. One second ticks by, another, and the resemblance shutters to proper recognition. ] ... People do come back sometimes.

[lightmagic]

I didn't see him at the jump. [ They were occupied, it could happen. Her shoulders hunch, just a little, as Severus approaches her. Not quite leaning toward him, but trying to take a moment to breathe and process it. She nods, finally, dropping her hand to look at Severus instead.

She's quiet, even when she speaks again. ]

He seems different. [ Different because he's actually looking for her, or because of something else she spotted in watching him, it doesn't matter. She almost asks Do they come back different but she remembers commander Shepard, purses her lips, doesn't ask what she already knows. ] I must have missed him. [A breath. She isn't scared to talk to her own son. ] I should answer him.

Later, after Tea Time:

[lightmagic]

[ The video flicks on and Lily looks fine. She is fine, ostensibly, she's just had to take a minute. Or a few minutes. Or several of them? Time for Hermione to explain, anyway.

It's fine. Everything is fine.

She's in the labs still and she smiles when she comes into focus, red hair and green eyes and everything he's asked after when it comes to her— ]

Harry.

[ Her voice doesn't croak, and she sounds genuinely happy. See, Harry? Good ol' mum's in one piece. Not a ghost, or a figment— ]

Where are you? I can get to you.

[bespectacle]

Mum?

[The word comes so readily to him it's a little odd, but he's talked to patronuses and ghosts and magical mirrors with as much conviction, so it probably shouldn't be. His face looks the same as it did a few hours ago. The photograph is visible on the table behind him, a sliver of white. His face is very intent, very bright.] Yeah--

I'm in my room. My assigned one. Oh-thirty-nine, oh-forty-two. Are you sure you want to come here? I can-- oh that's probably best, [he realizes after a moment, supposing he'd just get himself extremely lost.]

[lightmagic]

Of course. [ There's no indication as to which part of what he said that's in response to, which is probably testament to the fact that she's still a little frazzled. That and the fact that he hasn't taken up residence in his old room, which either tells her a lot or nothing at all.

She feels very tired, and very awake, all at once. ]

I know my way around, so it'll be fastest if I come to you. I'll just be a short time.

[ The video clicks off and this thread is slamming into action town very quickly: Lily settles a couple of things where she is before heading to the 39th level; she bypasses a lot of the waiting for elevators, cheating as it were by apparating to her original assigned room so she can simply make her way to the 39th level.

It's spooky, a little, the floors where most people have cleared out. Lily pauses at Harry's door, suddenly and irrationally frightened that it's all a trick, that her son being back, being open, is all a horrible joke.

She knocks anyway, trying her best not to wring her hands. ]

[bespectacle]

[The door swoops aside almost instantaneously, as if Harry had been thinking about lurking creepily around in the open frame in a terrible facsimile of casual calm but had last minute decided to lurk creepily around an inch behind the door instead. It's almost true. He isn't very creepy generally, but he had definitely been stumping around right by the door, a shoulder to the wall, wondering if she'll. Call. When she's close. Or--]

Mum, [he says, first thing. He looks at her for a long moment. It doesn't seem to bother him how young she is, that she's only a handful of years older than himself, unless that revelation is what's beginning to make his eyes shiny and hot and red. The next instant, he darts forward, flings his arms around Lily's neck-- an unequivocal hug. He learned how to do this from Hermione Granger, actually; the opportunity for spontaneous tactility didn't happen much when he was growing up.

He's gotten good at hugs, though, since befriending Hermione. The hug is robust and firm. He sort of laughs and messes up breathing simultaneously, filling one side of her hair with airy warmth.]

later later, probably due to boggart problems

[fullmoon]

Hello, Harry.

[ Is he recognizable? Should he introduce himself? Mysteries. He didn't have to last time, but last time Harry was the one who remembered and Remus was the one who didn't. Also they barely spoke and Remus isn't sure if he did something or if that's just how things are. Maybe he should ask. But probably not now! Given the circumstances.

This is all very disconcerting.

Manners prevail. ]

Are you settling in?

[bespectacle]

[Harry doesn't look disconcerted at all, although he looks initially curious and then momentarily unsure. His increasing certainty afterward is accompanied by a distinct forward lean toward the camera, his face growing bigger in the frame.] You're Remus Lupin. Aren't you?

I'm doing pretty well right now. Thanks, prof-- [agjlf] I mean, thanks. I've figured out where my room is and the kitchen, too, but I think I'm being advised to move. Do you think I should?

[fullmoon]

Yes.

[ That's an answer to both questions. He's equally sure of both answers. He's less sure of what he's doing, but he smiles anyway. ]

Security doesn't patrol above the tenth level anymore. If things turn sour you won't have help. And you'll never have any fresh eggs.

( audio )

[pushfall]

[ This could be weird for one Mrs. Potter. ]

I know Lily. That's not really gonna help you find her, but I do know she's here. Just not where. Like... presently.

video;

[bespectacle]

[This is a weird one for Mrs. Potter. That's for sure.] Thanks. I'm going to meet her soon-- I know it. That's the way with Muggle phones I think.

What's she like? [He can't help but take the opportunity to ask, though.]

video;

[pushfall]

[ Hi, hello, here is Claire's face. ]

Awesome. [ Is her actual and immediate response. It's the truth, though. Lily is awesome. One time she met John Stamos on a plane and he told her she was pretty. Etc. ] She's a good person, and she's been a good friend in the time that I've known her. Helps out a lot when things get... kind of dicey. Makes good tea.

[ She smiles. ]

[invisibilitea]

Have you had any luck?

[bespectacle]

Yes-- thanks, though.

Who am I speaking to?

[invisibilitea]

I'm glad! Being here alone is-

...lonely.

[Smooth.]

Oh, hi, I'm Annie.

video - also dated late but not as late as actual meeeee I'M SORRY

[doggedly]

[Spending a long time sorting out feelings isn't exactly something that comes naturally, so-- mostly Sirius skips over that bit of this. Harry doesn't remember, he can get that from the post itself alone. It's a weird feeling. Where he's from, Harry's not anything, not a thought or baby; where Harry is from, Sirius is--ex con godfather.

So.

Skipping the part, too, where he thinks James, very briefly. It's a knee-jerk reaction; he knows it's not James, nearly immediately. Determined, then, he switches on the video without anything to say in particular.]

Think I've heard of them.

[Casually. Uncertain, too, which means he's playing pretty cool.]

Maybe once or twice.

NP welcome

[bespectacle]

Oh have you? [says the young man in the video, looking off somewhere from the side of the screen for a moment, distracted, before his face squares back into view. Whatever he was going to say next falls off sharply as he searches the tiny screen, the tiny details of Sirius' tiny face. He moves in his seat; a few degrees forward and then settles back, probably trying to look casual.

Not doing a very good job. Not very like James at all, really.] You're Sirius Black, he says, [with the same certainty but polite tone of inquiry with which he had identified Remus.] You're my father's-- [change tense no let's not

he doesn't know what they know.] You're my father's best friend.

ty :*

[doggedly]

[Not very like James at all, but still close enough in the face that it feels strange all over again. Maybe someone else would get used to it. Maybe Sirius will, eventually. For starters, it's the same feeling, like getting hit in the chest and having the wind knocked out of you.]

Yeah. On both counts. [The corner of his mouth crooks cautiously, just a little smile.] Lucky man.

[It's not everyone that gets to count him as best mate, usual boasting, et cetera--only muted slightly. He's better at playing casual, maybe--raised in aristocratic aloofness that can take over and fill out the holes in the act--but there's a nervy edge, hopefully easily overlooked via video. This is important.]

That's time for you. This ship loves playing silly buggers with it, confuses everything. [And you were here before, has anyone said? With perhaps surprising restraint, he bites back the comment, for now. Who's to say he doesn't already know?] So, hiya.