"Who is he, dad?" A small boy asked from his position next to the bed.

Deep brown eyes turned to his seven-year old son, his clone, really, in everything except the slightly lighter colour of the eyes and the lack of gray additions in the mess all Potters referred to as hair. "It's your cousin, James."

Hazel orbs widened in surprise, quickly turning back to the lump tucked into blue covers.

Quietly, almost whispering, "I have a cousin?"

Charlus allowed a brief smile to tuck the corners of his downtrodden lips. "Yes."

Nose and dark eyebrows scrunched together in thought. "How come I've never seen him before?"

Strong, burly arms curled tight around the boy, lifting him up and placing him in his lap. "My sister, Charlene, has been missing for five years." Charlus paused with a sigh, old wounds hurting yet again. "We didn't know what happened to her, thought she died, really. Eventually the aurors just stopped searching." Tears started appearing in his eyes, furiously the older man rubbed at them, making them disappear. "A week ago she reappeared at the hospital."

"That why you were gone so much last week?"

A big hand ruffled through unruly hair, slightly annoying the boy at the action. "Yes, I was at the hospital." Charlus looked out the window, watching as the golden sun slowly sank below the horizon as he remembered his sisters bright smile, and the small indents in her cheek that appear with it. "She didn't make it, her wounds to sever, but the boy she had in her arms as she arrived, did. A close call even there, but he stayed strong."

A small face turned upwards, locking eyes with his father. "How come she didn't come sooner?"

Charlus tightened his arms significantly. "A bad man had her, a really bad man. He hurt her so she couldn't escape."

"Oh… he hurt him to?" James asked, looking pointedly at the wounds covering the porcelain skin visible above the hospital bedding.

"Yes, the bad man hurt him too. That's why he will come and live with us as soon as he gets better."

Big eyes, wide with astonishment, turned back to look at his father once again, judging the truth in his words. "Really?"

Charlus chuckled at the look his son sported before replying with small, but pleased, smile. "Definitely."

James processed the words, and what they implied. "He doesn't have to go back to the bad man?"

"No, he will never have to go back there. But since the bad man is still not caught, your cousin will have to have guards accompanying him when he goes outside of the wards we have at home. At least until he gets older and can protect himself."

"The man wants to take him away?"

"…Unfortunately."

The silence was deafening before a determined voice broke it. "I'll protect him then."

Amused, "Is that so?"

"Of course! He's my cousin, and you and mum always say I've gotta care for what's mine, so I'll have to protect him!"

Charlus chuckled, "that you do." He lifted his son out of his lap and put him back onto the floor as he rose from his seated position. "I'll have to go talk to the healers, but you stay here, ok, James?"

"Ok, dad."

As the door to the small, white room closed shut, the little black-haired boy walked up to the bed, where he then swiftly climbed up and lay down next to the younger child on the mattress, cradling him in his arms protectively. "Hear that, Harry? You're mine now, so I'll protect you. Always."