It takes James a second to figure out how he should be responding to this. A hug was literally the last way that he expected this exchange to go, and when he realizes that things might actually be okay, he sort of melts into the hug. After a moment of lingering hesitation, his own arms go up, gingerly hugging Harry back, before it turns into a tighter squeeze. For a little while, James lets himself cling to his father, as if he can't believe his luck.

"I love him, da," he says, because if he's not honest now, he's not sure he ever will be. "And he loves me, too, and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but I was scared. I was really scared."