The moment that strange woman waved the slender stick over her for the third time that day, Sakura decided she hated it.
It wasn't painful—just… unsettling. The air around the stick prickled in a way that reminded her of unstable chakra, and the faint tingle over her skin made her tiny body squirm. She couldn't push it away, couldn't swat the thing out of the woman's hand. All she could do was glare—well, as much of a glare as her newborn face could manage.
What strange energy is it? She heard them say 'Magic' 'Potion' 'Spell' And she wanted to scoffs, Like for real?
The woman—a healer, she guessed—spoke to the couple who claimed to be her parents. The words were English, still muffled and incomplete in her mind, but enough got through for her to understand that she was a miracle. Something about her "core" healing itself. She didn't know what a magical core was, but if it was the reason she felt so strange lately, she'd like it to hurry up and finish so these people would stop poking at her.
Magical core. Magic exist?
Then came the hair comments again.
Apparently, "Harriet"—the name they'd given her—had been born with black hair, but over the past four days it had steadily lightened to a pale, delicate pink. She could almost hear Ino laughing in her head at that one. Figures. Can't even escape my hair color in another life.
The medic's tone shifted, becoming more serious. She warned her parents to be careful with potions—Harry, her "twin brother," would have no trouble, but Harriet's body was "changing."
Sakura caught the worried note in her new mother's voice as she asked if it was dangerous. The medic's calm assurance soothed Lily, and Harriet, though she didn't like being spoken about as if she weren't in the room, filed the information away.
'So my body's different. Fine. I'll adapt' She thought. 'Whatever is going on... I figure it out once I start walking... Thank Kami, I took English class...'
Tomorrow, they could leave. James looked like he'd been waiting forever to hear that. Relief poured off him in waves, so strong she could almost feel it in the air. Home. Wherever that was now.
Home. What others would be doing? She can't imagine when they see her dead body. Kakashi was gonna get depressed again, Team 7 is fucked up bottle of emotions. She hopes they don't end up doing something stupid. Hope so.
The door opened, and another man entered—this one with long dark hair, a grin that seemed far too mischievous for a hospital room, and a single flower in hand. He strode in like he owned the place.
"Morning, Prongs. Lilyflower," he greeted smoothly.
He took Harry from James without hesitation, holding the boy as if they were already old friends. Then, with casual familiarity, he leaned down to kiss Lily on the head before turning his gaze to Sakura.
The grin widened. "And how's my little Bambi today?"
Sakura blinked up at him, momentarily stunned. Bambi? Seriously? She wasn't sure if it was supposed to be cute or insulting, but she filed his face into her mental "people to watch carefully" category.
Or revenge. Yeah, she was teammate of a prankster, buddy.
She had no idea what this guy deal was, but something told her he was going to be trouble.
By the time they were finally discharged from the hospital, Sakura—Harriet—was fast asleep in her mother's arms, blissfully unaware of the flurry of paperwork, whispered thanks to the Healers, and James's barely contained excitement.
The trip home was quiet. The safe house wasn't large, but it was sturdy, well-hidden, and layered with protective magic. It felt lived in, cozy despite the heightened security. James held the door open for Lily, who carried Harriet, while he kept Harry in his arms, the two tiny bundles sleeping without a care in the world.
Inside, James and Lily approached the small nursery—a single large crib set against the wall, its bedding soft and patterned with little golden snitches. Gently, they laid the twins side by side. Harriet's soft pink hair and Harry's tuft of messy black contrasted sharply, but they both looked peaceful, tiny chests rising and falling in unison.
James stood there for a long moment, taking it in. Twins. The word still felt foreign on his tongue. Potter history had no record of twins—none. And now, here they were. Two children, born against the odds, alive and well. A miracle.
Lily smiled faintly beside him, her eyes lingering on their babies. She was just as happy, though the practical part of her mind reminded her that twins meant double the work, double the sleepless nights, and double the worry. Still… she wouldn't trade it for anything.
"I'll do my best," James said suddenly, his voice quiet but firm. "Here at home, with them—and at work. I'll pull my weight."
Lily's lips curved into a knowing smile. "I don't mind. And I already know Sirius, Remus, and Peter will be tripping over themselves to be the proud uncles of these two."
James chuckled, wrapping his arms around her in a sudden, warm embrace. He kissed her cheek, murmuring, "Thank you, Lily. For all of this."
Her reply was interrupted by a sharp wail from the crib. Both turned in surprise—Harry had woken, his tiny fists flailing as he cried loudly enough to make his sister twitch in her sleep.
Lily laughed softly, moving to scoop him up. "Feeding time," she said over her shoulder.
James followed, shaking his head in mock exasperation, though his grin betrayed the truth for the first time in weeks, his heart felt full.