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CHAPTER EIGHTY TWO - 🍂୧ wouldn't. . .
change a thing ও🦌

AUTUMN HAD GONE TO CHECK on Aspen, only to find her child's toys floating in the air, moving as if being held by invisible hands. Her heart rate spiked, and a cry of surprise and concern was frozen in her throat.

James, on the other hand, who was watching Aspen from across the room, chuckled softly at the sight. It wasn't the first time they had witnessed Aspen's early display of magic.

Autumn let out a sigh as she caught one of the cat plushies that had fallen and watched as the others clattered to the floor around the room. "I know they say it's normal here in the wizarding world," she remarked, "but I still can't get used to it, even though I've spent years surrounded by magic."

James chuckled again, his eyes watching Aspen who was cooing in contentment at the magic she unknowingly caused.

He walked over to Autumn, a hand placed gently on her shoulder. "I know it's a lot to get used to, especially when it comes from your own child," he said, his voice soft yet amused. "But it is completely normal and quite impressive, you have to admit."

James chuckled and turned to Autumn, waving his wand to tidy up the stuffed animals. "Didn't your parents experience something like this?" he asked curiously.

"Just what I told you before," Autumn replied, her mind pondering. "Maybe I'll ask them next time. The only story I can recall well is how I found out I was a witch. When me and Raven had a little tussle when we were kids."

James raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her response. "I mean you mentioned it briefly, but a tussle, huh?" he said, a smirk playing on his lips. "That sounds like a story I need to hear. What happened?"

Autumn chuckled, the memory of her and Raven's childhood tussles bringing a smile to her face. "Oh it was just a small fight," she said, remembering how they used to fight over the smallest things.

"We were probably around 7 or 8," she continued, "A silly argument over something unimportant escalated and somehow ended in a magical display from the both of us."

James chuckled, amused by the image of a young Autumn and Raven engaged in magical combat over trivial matters. "I'd pay good money to have seen that," he said, his smile widening. "Who won?"

"Raven." Autumn chuckled, her brows furrowing as she thought through her memories. "If not for Raven, I probably wouldn't even have found out I was a witch," she admitted, her voice trailing off as she tried to make sense of her intuition.

James, who stood with his back turned to Autumn, widened his eyes in surprise upon hearing her statement, his expression hidden from her view.

The memory of his dream from months ago flashed through James' mind, when Autumn wasn't there and an inexplicable emptiness had taken hold. Then, the dream had concluded with him meeting Raven, and her saying the same thing.

James's silence didn't go unnoticed by Autumn. She looked at him, a furrow forming between her brows as she caught the hint of surprise in his expression.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with concern as she took a step closer to him.

James took a moment to bask in the adorable sight of Aspen, gurgling and gnawing on her fingers. With a smile, he turned to Autumn and held her hand affectionately. "That's precisely why our daughter is named Aspen Raven," he told her.

He paused, reminiscing about the dream he had shared with her in the past. "You remember the dream I told you about, the one where it was as though a life without you? Well, it was the case for Raven as well. I believe that without her, things might have been very different."

Autumn nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with a sense of destiny and fate. "I've always believed that meeting Raven was meant to be," she confessed. "From the moment she saved me when some boys were picking on me, I felt something special. Even though she was a stranger at the time, there was an inexplicable pull that compelled me not to let the opportunity pass."

Amidst their conversation, Aspen let out a gurgled response that almost mirrored her mother's words, causing both James and Autumn to burst into laughter.

James chuckled heartily at Aspen's little gurgle that mirrored Autumn's words. "Looks like our little one is trying to join in on the conversation," he said, smiling warmly at their daughter.

"But yeah, you're right," he continued, looking back at Autumn. "I had that same feeling too. Like Raven was meant to be a part of our story. I can't imagine life without her, just like I can't imagine a life without you."

Autumn's heart warmed at his words. "We were destined to cross paths," she agreed, her eyes meeting his with an understanding smile. "Just like we were destined to find each other."

She glanced over at Aspen, who had abandoned her fingers and was now gnawing on her plushie, her little coos and babbles filling the air. "And like we were destined to have Aspen," she added, her voice filled with tenderness.

James smiled, his gaze shifting from Autumn to Aspen and back again. "We're living proof that destiny has a plan for us," he mused, his fingers gently rubbing the back of her hand. "Who would have thought that a magical childhood argument and a simple act of kindness could lead to all of this?"

Autumn chuckled, the irony of how things had played out not lost on her. "I certainly didn't see it coming," she admitted, resting her head against his shoulder. "But I'm glad it did. I wouldn't change any of this, not for anything."

James chuckled and pursed his lips before asking, "Do you remember the very first prank me and the guys played on you and Raven?"

Autumn nodded with a grimace, the memory of the infamous "dungbomb" prank vivid in her mind. "Oh, how could I forget that? The smell... Merlin, I can still remember it like it was yesterday!"

James furrowed his brow, pondering the memory. "It was strangely coincidental that day," he said. "We had originally planned a different prank, but we strangely ran out of supplies for that plan—then we stumbled upon a box of dungbombs at our usual hiding place. I remember Peter being puzzled since we were certain we had used up all our stock the day before, yet there was a brand new box in front of us."

Autumn's expression turned into one of confusion as she listened to James' explanation. "So, you had a completely different prank planned?" she asked.

James shook his head in response. "Here's the weird part," he continued. "We intended to target a large group, but the corridor kept emptying out, with only you and Raven walking through. That's why you both received more dungbombs than we initially planned. It was meant for multiple people."

Autumn raised an eyebrow at the new information. "The corridor kept emptying out?" she echoed, her gaze locked on his. "That's...odd."

She thought back to that exact memory and realized he was right. The more they had walked down the corridor, the more strangely empty the space had become. It was almost as if...

"Almost as if someone or something was clearing the area," she whispered, her mind racing as she tried to recall any strange occurrence from that day.

She looked back at James, her confusion still lingering. "Could Raven have done it?" she asked, though she was sure the answer was no. Raven had been walking with her the entire time.

James nodded in agreement. "It's possible that someone else orchestrated it to ensure that you two were the ones who ended up there. We'll definitely need to chat with Raven later when she visits."

Autumn nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we should ask her," she replied, her mind still contemplating the oddity of that day.

She then turned to Aspen, who was now blissfully gnawing on her plushie again, oblivious to the mystery unfolding around her. Autumn smiled at her daughter's innocence. "In the meantime, we need to make sure our little witch over here doesn't accidentally levitate the whole house," she joked.

James chuckled, his eyes fixed on Aspen. "Right, we can add 'preventing accidental house floatation' to the list of parenting duties," he said, a playful smile on his face.

He wrapped an arm around Autumn, pulling her closer. "We've got this," he reassured her, his voice soft and confident.

Autumn snuggled closer to him, inhaling his familiar scent. His presence and confidence were reassuring, just like they had always been. "Yeah, we do," she agreed, her voice filled with love.

She glanced down at Aspen, her heart swelling with love for the little witch in the making. "We have each other, and we have her," she said, her voice brimming with affection. "We can handle anything that comes our way."

The evening fell, and Raven and Remus dropped by, as they often did at least once or twice a week, wanting to spend some quality time with their goddaughter.

James and Remus engaged in a spirited game of wizards' chess, their attention intermittently shifting to the girls engaged in sipping their tea. As for Aspen, she was completely absorbed in her favourite building blocks, a present from Peter, happily stacking and unstacking them with great focus.

Aspen was utterly engrossed with the building blocks. The moment she got her tiny hands on them, she seemed to prefer their company over the attention of her parents and godparents.

Autumn chuckled as she watched Aspen, completely absorbed in her building blocks. It was a scene she had become accustomed to. No matter how much she and James tried to get Aspen's attention, once those blocks were in front of her, it was lights out for anyone vying for her interest.

"Looks like we're second fiddle to some colourful cubes," she joked, her eyes filled with affection as she watched her daughter play blissfully.

Raven, who was sitting beside her, chuckled as well, her gaze also fixed on Aspen. "Oh, those blocks are quite the competition," she agreed, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

She then took a sip of her tea before turning her attention back to Autumn. "It's amazing how something so simple can keep her enthralled for hours on end."

Autumn nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "It really is," she agreed. "But I guess that's the charm of childhood, isn't it? The simplest things can bring the most joy."

She paused, her eyes wandering to Aspen who was now stacking the blocks into a chaotic yet adorable tower. "I just hope she doesn't start building with our furniture someday."

Remus leaned in, his voice hushed, while James was deep in thought, contemplating his next move in the chess game. "Be careful what you say," he warned with a smirk. "Your words might just become reality. My own father once shared a story about discussing a new hairstyle, only for my mother to jokingly mention it to me when I was a baby and I made him bald!"

Autumn's eyes widened in horror, a mixture of disbelief and shock etched on her face. "Oh, please tell me that's not true," she said, looking at Remus with a hint of fear.

The thought of Aspen accidentally waving her hands and making either her or James's hair vanish was utterly terrifying. It was one thing for a baby to unintentionally levitate her toys; it was another thing entirely for her to accidentally inflict magical balding!

Remus, who was clearly enjoying her reaction, chuckled gleefully. "Oh, it's quite true, I assure you," he affirmed, his smirk widening. "A baby with hair-frying powers is not a pretty sight."

Autumn shuddered, her mind imagining the nightmare. "Great. Yet another thing to keep me up at night," she murmured, half-serious and half-joking.

Autumn then seized the moment to bring up the topic to Raven, redirecting her attention. "Hey, Rave," she said, addressing her friend. "You remember that time the guys pranked us with the dungbombs?"

Raven nodded, immediately recognizing the mentioned memory. "Ah, the dreaded dungbomb incident," she chuckled, her expression a mixture of amusement and mild exasperation.

"How could I forget?" she pondered, clearly recalling the event. "It's left a mark that's for sure, figuratively and literally."

James, sensing Remus's inquisitive gaze, shot him a discreet look. His hand hovered over a chess piece, contemplating his next move on the board, but his attention was now divided between the game and the conversation.

Remus, a keen observer, recognized the subtlety in James's actions and the seriousness beneath the casual conversation. His interest was piqued, and he listened with even greater attention.

"So, what brings up the dungbomb incident now?" Raven asked, turning towards Autumn, her eyes curious.

Autumn took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Well," she began, her voice a little weary, "I was wondering... did you notice anything strange about that day? Like the corridor emptying out just when we walked into the prank?"

Raven's forehead creased in a thoughtful frown as she tried to recall that day. "Now that you mention it," she mused, "I do remember thinking it was eerily quiet. I just brushed it off as a coincidence, though. Why do you ask?"

James took charge of the conversation, explaining his side first as Autumn gave him a subtle signal to proceed. He elaborated on how he and the guys originally had a different prank in mind using their usual supplies, but somehow, the items they needed had mysteriously vanished. "Instead, all we had was a pack of dungbombs," he said.

James continued, his voice tinged with curiosity, "The strangest thing wasn't what we used. It was the fact that we had aimed to target a big group of students, but then—the hallway we set up the prank in seemed to magically clear out."

The hall was usually teeming with students during that time of day, but it was eerily empty. "It was as if something mysteriously diverted all the students away from the spot," James explained, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and intrigue.

Remus interjected with a realization, his eyes widening as he connected the dots. "So, all students except Autumn and Raven were deterred from walking down the hallway?"

Remus's statement echoed in the room, the implications hanging heavily in the air. Autumn nodded gravely, confirming his realization.

"Yes," she confirmed, her voice soft yet tinged with worry. "It seems only Raven and I ended up being the targets of your prank, and the corridor magically emptied out just for us."

Remus furrowed his brows, contemplating the past. "Why didn't we think of it during our school days?" he pondered aloud before his eyes widened, a realization dawning on him. "Have there been any other instances you can recall where things seemed out of the ordinary?"

Autumn and Raven both fell into a thoughtful silence as they tried to think back on their school days. The mention of anything 'out of the ordinary' caused a flood of memories to wash over Autumn, ranging from mundane to odd.

Finally, after a few moments, Raven spoke, her voice quiet as she tried to jog her memory. "There were some other odd occurrences," she admitted. "Nothing as big as the corridor clearing out, but..."

James emitted an "ah" sound, signalling he had remembered something important. "There was the hippogriff incident," he said, recalling their third year when he had a close call during a Care of Magical Creatures lesson.

Autumn, baffled, turned to her husband. "What?"

James sheepishly scratched the back of his head, a nervous chuckle escaping his lips. "I overheard some students talking about how hippogriffs might take a liking to you if they see that you're brave," he admitted.

Raven raised an eyebrow, taken aback by James's confession. "We learned about hippogriffs in class, and our Professor warned us about the dangers," she said firmly.

James offered an apologetic smile. "I'll be honest, I wasn't exactly paying attention in class," he confessed, his expression a mix of guilt and mischief.

Raven let out a sigh, equal parts annoyed and amused by James's revelation. She knew his tendency to pay more attention to trouble than to learning.

"So, instead of listening and being sensible," she summarized dryly, a hint of a smirk on her face, "you took it upon yourself to test out your theory and nearly got your head bit off. Sounds about right."

James nodded, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Trust me, that incident was more than embarrassing. But here's the strangest thing: I distinctly remember turning around to ask those people for more information, but they were nowhere in sight."

Autumn furrowed her brows, contemplating the implications. "Do you think they were trying to hurt you?" she inquired.

Remus crossed his arms, his expression serious. He suggested a more sinister possibility. "Or maybe they were trying to engineer a situation to stick to some sort of plan," he mused.

James scratched his chin, his expression thoughtful. "If that's the case, then it's possible that there's something larger at play—potentially more than just these isolated incidents," he pondered.

He turned to the others. "Maybe we should start asking the others if they've experienced any weird or unexplained things too. If multiple people have had similar encounters, then perhaps we're not just overthinking things. It could be that someone has been orchestrating a complex plan, subtly manipulating events to achieve their goals."

James, seeing Aspen quiet and no longer occupied with her blocks, couldn't help but smile as she looked up at him. As he scooped her into his arms, he turned to the others with a thoughtful expression. "Regardless of any plans or schemes," he began, "I can confidently say that I wouldn't trade our lives now for anything. The path we've walked, whether it was set by someone else or not, has brought us together as friends and family. And look at what we've built." He lifted Aspen into the air, her giggles filling the room as he held her high.

Raven, Remus, and Autumn all smiled warmly at the sight of James and Aspen. The truth in his words was undeniable; despite any external forces that might have pushed and pulled them towards their current path in life, they had found each other, and they had found a happiness they would never want to trade.

"As soppy as it sounds," Raven teased, a fond smile on her face, "you're absolutely right, James."

Remus chimed in as well, his voice filled with genuine warmth. "We've all been through a lot together, and we've come out stronger for it," he said, his eyes drifting to Aspen, now happily being twirled around by James.

Autumn nodded in agreement, a soft smile on her face. "You put it perfectly," she said, her gaze drifting from James to all of them. "No matter what may have led us here, we're family. And we've built something pretty special."