Disclaimer: I do not own the characters just play with them!
Summery: Seven years ago Harry, Voldemort and three others disappeared due to an unknown spell. Harry left behind a half formed relationship with Severus Snape and a two year old son. What will happen when he returns?
A/N
Ok so just to help you all out a bit, It's an AU as of the end of the fifth book. Sirius is still alive! Harry disappeared at the age of nineteen. This does have SSHP and DMHG so if you dislike the pairings I wouldn't bother reading on! It also has mentions of Male pregnancy, however it was an unplanned effect of a spell and a little unusual.
Have fun ;)
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Hermoine Malfoy risked a glance at her husbands cool expression in the crowd. He caught it and raised an enquiring eyebrow at her. She shook her head in a tiny movement that no-one really caught.
Apart from Draco.
Every year they did this, the ministry demanded it as the ultimate way of showing that he who must not be named was gone for good.
Along with Harry and three others almost seven years ago now.
At her side she heard Ron let out a small frustrated sigh. All of them hated it, the only reason they did it was as part of an agreement to have access to the department of ministries.
Not one single member of the order doubted that it was the last they had heard of Harry Potter and Voldemort. They needed those damned resources in order to discover exactly what had happened back then, because absolutely no-one knew. The only two people that had come out of the underground passages before the explosion were Albus Dumbledore and Harry's two year old son. Albus had turned to go back for Harry but then there was a magical blast that had landed the old man in a coma for weeks, his memory of that day was hazy even now and his health had never quite been the same.
"This is ridiculous" Severus muttered.
"Five more minutes" Remus Lupin replied stonily.
Hermoine glanced along the group. Nevile Longbottom stood without expression, Ginny with her arms folded. Sirius Black had attended the proceedings once and once only before the ministry had decided that it was more trouble than it was worth. Dumbledore managed to avoid it also, claiming that Hogwarts needed its headmaster on the celebratory day to ensure that there were no great mishaps. In truth the ministry seemed rather happy to distance him from the proceedings. There were a few others that had been noted aurors during that time also, Kingsley Shakelbolt being the only one that she really recognised even after all these years.
Suddenly a cheer erupted from the crowd and those on the stage behind the speakers glanced at each other in barely disguised relief. It was over, not until next year would another of these take place.
They left the stage and most filed into the pub that Ginny Weasly owned. The family all seemed to help out around the place. It was rather odd to see it empty of all but them as the place had become something of a tourist attraction.
Ron wandered behind the bar to pull some butter-beers then at a glance at most people's faces grabbed a large bottle of fire-whiskey and muggle vodka.
Without a word Severus poured himself a firewhiskey, downed it and then repeated the process. Remus sat staring moodily into his butterbeer when it was brought over, while Ron and she just sat.
The door opened quietly and Draco walked in with Tonks. There was a slight acknowledgement from the others around the table. Hermoine herself did a half hearted wave.
Ron carefully poured them all out a drink for them all and then raised his in a mock salute. "Here's to the best part of this bloody tradition"
She saw Draco open his mouth to say something and shook her head. It wasn't exactly the best day for the slightly harsh banter that Draco and Ron usually engaged in.
The rest all nodded and knocked their drinks back.
Ginny and Nevile came in a while later, their budding relationship still new to them all. About half an hour later Sirius skulked in, already smelling of alcohol. Hermoine watched him carefully from hooded eyes, Sirius' drinking was something that they had all tried to address over the years and had all slowly given up on.
"How's litte'un?"
"Alex?" Hermoine asked.
Sirius nodded then seemed to remember that it was a bit rude not to ask about her own children also, "And your two"
Hermoine risked a glance at Severus who she could tell was listening but pretending not too. The two men seemed to have decided that politely ignoring each other was the only way they could get along.
"Alex is fine, likely giving Lucius and Narcissa a heart attack" she smiled gently, "He certainly had Harry's curiosity!"
A ghost of a smile whispered across Sirius' face.
"And my two are likely helping him, though I swear Eve is the worst of them all."
Sirius nodded and went back to his drink. Hermoine smiled slightly as she thought of the boy who was a nephew to her in everything but blood. She and Ron had been named godparents and both of them kept a close interest in Alex.
A pale hand closed over hers and she looked at Draco with a smile. There was that look in his eyes again. "I'm fine" she whispered. She watched as Draco searched her face and then nodded gently.
"Who's got good stories" Ginny suddenly asked, "This is getting way too depressing."
Hermoine tilted her head slightly, not sure what had brought up the memory. "I have one"
"Harry?"
The dark haired teen glanced over at Hermoine, a spell book open in one hand a bag of crisps precariously balancing in his lap and his other hand halfway down the packet,
"Mm" he nodded and swallowed quickly. "What's up?"
Hermoine glanced around, she wasn't hugely surprised to have finally found Harry in the room of requirement. After Dumbledore's army last year had failed and Snape had caught them leaving the castle no-one really used it any more. Well almost no-one. But it was perfect to get away from the crowd in the common room.
"Can you make sure that no-one else can get in?"
Harry nodded and closed his eyes. As the first person in the room would respond to his needs.
"Think we're good"
Hermoine nodded. "Harry, I have something that we should discuss".
Harry nodded twisting around so that he was properly facing her, "You want me to get Ron?"
Hermoine shook her head, "One of you at a time I think and your the more..." she paused, "Level headed."
Harry nodded, "Ok".
Hermoine fiddled with her shirt button for a few seconds. "I...this is hard to tell you.."
Harry nodded and reached for another crisp. "Wouldn't have anything to do with you and Malfoy soiling my special hideaway would it?"
Hermoine's jaw dropped as she stared at Harry and the nonchalant manner that he has dismissed her now second biggest secret. "How...?" she whispered.
He looked at her and grinned, "Ron and I were having a..."he paused "Uh...disagreement and we saw you two leaving." He leaned back, "It was about six months ago. Haven't seen you two really slip up like that since"
"Ron knows?"
Harry nodded, "Yeah, we kinda figured you'd tell us in your own time. Or that we needed time to research love potions and the such to find hard evidence to show you that you were mental. Either way" He grinned.
"Do you think i'm insane?" she asked in a very small voice.
Harry grinned, "You're Hermoine Granger, you're like the most analytical and anal person I know when it comes to making decisions. I imagine you've come up with more reasons not to be with Malfoy than I ever could"
She leant back feeling slightly...disappointed, annoyed? She had thought that there would be more concern, more questioning.
"Oh well if your fine with it_" she begun, not managing to keep the hurt from her voice.
"Hermoine" Harry leant forward, "Ron and I were convinced it had to be something other than just you and him liking each other, We researched, Ron and I went to the library without you and really studied hard to find a reason." He paused, almost as though waiting for some congratulation, then seemed to sense that it wasn't coming. "But then over the weeks you seemed more and more happy, more and more confident. Malfoy wasn't such a complete arse and stayed out of our way more..." he smiled "Which thank you for! Hermoine, we saw that it was having a good affect on you and that you were happy." He leant back, "I still think you've got terrible taste but if he makes you happy, and you're sure its...uh...relatively safe go for it"
Hermoine smiled, "And Ron?"
Harry shrugged, "He's not quite as accepting as me, but he's on his way. At any rate he will still speak to you and will not announce the relationship to the world."
She felt an almost physical feeling of relief. And then a small amount of fear. She took a deep breath and decided that she had better say it now or she might never say it at all.
"I'm also pregnant"
Harry seemed to freeze and then double take. "Oh" he said.
She waited nervously as she watched him think. She thanked god again that she hadn't been the one to tell Draco. Madame Pomfrey at the moment was her hero. As the minutes ticked by she started to feel more and more uncomfortable.
"How many..." he made some movement towards her stomach.
"A few weeks" Hermoine said, "We just found out this morning"
"We?" Harry questioned.
Hermoine nodded, "We. Draco and I. He was with me"
Harry nodded, "So you're having a baby"
She nodded feeling a shy happiness begin to grow in her. "I guess so"
"No way to make sure the kids more like you than Malfoy is there? I mean how can I spoil a child like him?" Harry teased.
Hermoine smiled "I'll try my hardest to produce a mini me"
Harry nodded, "It's all I ask for"
Draco rolled his eyes, a smile on his face. "Well you certainly succeeded with Leo" he muttered.
Ginny had been giggling a little, "Dear Merlin can you imagine if you'd had the conversation with Harry in our fifth year. Everyone would have heard his outraged yells"
Hermoine smiled, "I know, what was worse was he couldn't understand why Ron and I were always a little hesitant to tell him things for the first few months of sixth year"
Remus shook his head, "Out of curiosity Ron do you remember what you and Harry were arguing about?"
Ron looked puzzled and then grinned.
"What?" Ginny asked.
"Well I think that I should be the first to ask her, you'll always be fine getting girls, you have the whole fame thing" Ron hissed.
Harry frowned, "Look seriously I just..." he let out a noise of frustration, "I'm not sure if its a good idea for either of us to. I was talking to...er..someone and they said that sometimes when your good friends with a girl you start to think of it as something more cause its an easy option_"
"Fine. Then let me have the easy option." Ron interrupted.
"It could break our group up" Harry pointed out.
Ron paused, "You think?"
Harry nodded, "Besides kissing her and stuff might be weird, I mean she's been like a sister for years_"
"And you have just knocked yourself out of this" Ron declared. "You think of her as a sister? And you were thinking about_"
"NO" Harry denied, "I just..." for a dew seconds he looked a little trapped, "I just wondered about it that's all" he frowned, "I blame you for this. You brought that drink into the dorms"
"What?" Ron yelped, "It was a good bonding session. We talked about stupid stuff and got hammered, it's kind of what we're meant to do" he hesitated, "So you're out of the running"
"I was never really in the running"
"Now your just saying that so you don't look stupid"
Harry rolled his eyes, "Fine i'm out of the running. What about you? Are you gonna risk your friendship with Hermoine?"
Ron remained silent for a second as they walked, "You complicate things way too much" he said eventually.
Harry opened his mouth and saw the door to the room of requirement opening. Out of habit he grabbed Ron and they sprung back behind a wall.
Ron peeked around and yet out a yelp. Harry, curious as to what he had seen, peeked around also.
They ducked back as the Hermoine and Malfoy split from their kiss and separated, Hermoine walking past their hiding spot, her cheeks flushed.
The two boys sat in silence, Ron's mouth opening and closing in shock and Harry frowning after Hermoine.
"Right, if I save her from Malfoy's spell d'ya reckon that she might be so grateful that she'd say yes to anything?"
Harry scrunched up his face, "That's gross"
Ron looked bewildered, "What she'd go out with m...Oh no! I didn't mean that sort of stuff"
Harry shook his head, "So you think it's a spell?"
Ron tilted his head, "What you think it's a potion, cause if it is me and you are screwed".
Harry frowned, "Why the hell would Malfoy date Hermoine and keep quiet about it?"
Ron let out a snort, "What you think it's real?" he waited as the silence stretched on and on. "You know what I think you're right. I think Hermoine and me would complicate things"
Harry turned to look at Ron slowly with a raised eyebrow, "Yeah ok". Harry sighed, "I was thinking more along the lines that he was trying to get information out of her."
"Oh" Ron looked relieved, "Yeah that would make sense." he nodded, "But it's Hermoine. You and me slip up more than she does"
Harry glared, "Ok then what's your bright idea?"
Ron looked about and then closed his eyes as if in pain. "You know what this means don't you"
Harry looked bewildered, "What?"
"We're so going to have to look up love things in the library"
Harry tilted his head with a wince. "Any way we could get Hermoine to do it you think?"
Hermoine sat stunned, "You've never told me that" she said after a while.
Draco was rolling his eyes and she could tell he was biting his tongue slightly. Ginny and
Nevile however were both giggling.
"Well" Ron said shifting, "It was embarrassing in high school, then I just sort of forgot about it."
"I remember that conversation"
They all turned to Sirius questioningly.
"Harry came to me for some advice at the end of the summer. About girls." Sirius took a large swig. "Completely missed his point at the time"
Ginny, Neville and Remus all looked at him and started to ask questions about the "talk" that Harry and he had. Soon there was laughter echoing for that side of the table.
"You alright" Draco asked Severus quietly.
The man had stiffened up at Sirius' words and now looked thunderous. It was a testament as to how far he had come when he let out a deep breath and the look slowly disappeared.
But not completely it seemed.
"Black never could deal with anyone different to himself"
The other side of the table had clearly heard him and Sirius slammed his drink down.
"Shut up Snivilus" He hissed, "You have no idea_"
"And neither do you" Severus snarled.
Hermoine and Draco glanced at each other, knowing from experience that as both men had been drinking and because it was this day that neither of them would back down. "We should get going" Hermoine said gently, "Severus will you be joining us?"
The dark eyed man nodded and they all stood up. Ron walked over and wrapped an arm around Hermoine, "You worry about the grumpy bat and i'll take care of the drunken child"
Hermoine smiled, "Thank you" she whispered.
Ron nodded and then turned to Severus, "Monday still good for me to take Alex to the park?"
"Shouldn't have to ask that fucking_" Sirius begun and then Remus grabbed him hissing something at him that no-one else could hear.
Severus nodded his face tight, "That sounds acceptable still Weasley"
Ron's eyes narrowed slightly but he let it go. He and Hermoine exchanged a look, it seemed whenever there was a meeting like this they were constantly playing peace keepers.
Harry had managed to play it so much better Hermoine thought sadly.
The three of them left the pub but Severus continued walking.
"Sev" Draco called using the name that usually made his godfather thunderous. They watched as Severus ignored them and simply walked into another bar, this time very close to Knockturn alley and not exactly the friendliest place.
Draco stared after him, "Stubborn bastard" he muttered.
Hermoine shook her head, "Well done for keeping your temper" she said gently.
Draco shrugged, "I get it way easier than him or mum and dad." He took a deep breath. "Lets go before this day gets any better".
Hermoine nodded and wrapped her arms around her. Together they apparated out.
Severus sat at the bar, wary that Draco would follow him as he had a few times. When there was no hand at his shoulder or elbow at his side he relaxed slightly and knocked back whatever was put in front of him.
Sirius Black had no idea, he thought furiously. He had utterly no clue about his godson, the pair had barely spoken after Alex had been born. He still hadn't been told exactly what had happened, but he had gathered that Alex had almost been captured from Black's stupidity.
Harry had never really forgiven him, nor really ever talked about it. He and Alex had disappeared for a year much to his own displeasure at the situation.
But then circumstances around him, Potter and their son had never been ideal.
He had been summoned. Everyone looked at him fearfully as he grasped his arm against the stinging pain.
"Here" Albus held out a dark stone, "As soon as you get an opportunity you must use this, it will take you to my office_"
Severus reeled back slightly, "I wont be able to go back after this"
Albus nodded, "I know."
There was a long pause.
"Go for fuck's sake" Black yelled, "They could be killing him as we speak"
Any other time he would have retaliated. Instead he left Grimwald place and apparated without a word.
Severus walked with the others into a circular room, dimly lit with flickering candles. There, in the centre of the room on the floor, was Potter. There were heavy chains around his wrists forcing him to kneel before the only chair in the room.
They all filed in, quite sneers of amusement, whispered barbs. A few remained silent, one of them being the dark lord himself. While the death eaters all stood in a circle, their quiet mutterings dying down the dark lord continued to circle him, as though Harry were his prey. Finally and seemingly satisfied he sat upon the chair.
"You will die tonight"
The statement was calm and utterly confident in the utter silence that it came from. Severus could see the boy bracing himself, unsure what would come next, but determined to face whatever it was.
"But first you will benefit my followers"
Severus blinked in confusion, he stared at the scene in front of him unsure of how to get Potter out alive. While the Dark Lord was distracted enough that Severus could think clearly without pouring all of his energy into blocking the dark lord it did not mean it would be easy to escape with the boy. As He begun to chant in what could only be Parceltongue, Severus glanced at the boy and slowly started to go through his mind. The boy stiffened but otherwise did nothing to give him away. From the boys mind he could see that it was indeed parceltongue but mixed with something else After a few seconds Potter begun to get the gist of it. The man was to create more power from
Harry Potter for his followers. Something about giving life to their magic.
After a minute or two Severus managed to gain from Potter what Voldemort was planing – Harry was to be the equivalent of a battery charger it seemed. Providing magic for the others. The spell seemed ancient and many parameters seemed to be needed.
Severus pulled away slightly, he needed to do something now before this ritual was completed. He just couldn't see anyway of escape at all.
He glanced at the direction that the they had come from, unable to see the door he knew was there.
To his surprise there was a shadowed figure.
To his further surprise the dark lord made a mistake. Clearly he said something to the shadowed figure in the middle of the ritual.
Seconds after both Potter and the Dark Lord froze, both having a much clearer grasp of what had been said and how it would affect the spell. In that moment both the Dark Lord and Potter had
almost identical looks of horror on their faces.
The magic of the spell ripped to life and circled around the death eaters. They all watched as something of some undefinable colour seeped out of Harry and joined the whirlwind mass above them.
Severus was too surprised at what was happening to think of the link he still had with Potter. It was only when the whirlwind suddenly showed the magical link that he even realised it was still there. Severus allowed himself only a moment of horror before he ran forward attempting to take advantage of the shock in the room. He raised his wand and silently freed the boy from the chains.
It felt odd as the whirlwind suddenly sped through him and then slammed into the boy on the floor. Potter looked at him wide-eyed, frozen in shock.
Severus didn't pause one second as he activated the portkey.
They landed in Dumbledore's office, Harry panting heavily and clearly struggling to understand what the hell had happened.
"Am I...?" he trailed off.
"What was that?" Snape hissed with fury
Harry stood up wobbly and started to make his way to the door, hands bracing himself against the wall.
"Need hospital wing" Harry managed to get out.
"What did he do?" Snape yelled grabbing the boy and almost throwing him into the chair by the desk.
"What?" Harry asked dazed.
"The dark lord. What did he do?" Snape growled pinning the boy to the chair.
He was convinced that Potter wasn't going to answer, but surprisingly the boy blinked and said in a slow voice"It was meant to give you all my power"
"That was not what happened" Snape said barely managing to suppress his annoyance.
"He said child" Harry whispered.
Snape rolled his eyes. "What did the spell do?" he barked out.
"I have to see Madame Pomfrey"
"After_"
"I think it made me...i think I...it made me like Hermoine"
Snape's eyes narrowed in confusion and then dawning realisation occurred. For moments there was nothing said or done. Then with a whispered spell Snape created a blue glow in Harry's midsection.
Harry met Snape's gaze which was completely unreadable.
"You...have a limited amount of time to abort"
Harry's face hardened instantly and with a strength he hadn't realised the boy possessed he stood up and crashed his hand against Severus' face. Then Potter walked out of the office as he rose in stunned amazement. Surely the boy wasn't planning on keeping greasy Severus Snape's child?
Alexander Potter was a mini devil Lucius Malfoy thought tiredly as they all sat at the meal table. Really the combination of his heritage should have been banned.
How had the mischievous little brat managed to get into the wine cellar? He and Narcissa were convinced that door was locked. It could be a toss up between Potter's bloody magic or Severus' intelligence really.
Thankfully his two grandchildren had stayed out of that. Evelyn had been too busy trying to climb the wall around the gardens and Leo riding along behind her on his broom. Trust that Quidditch obsessed child to find a way around the three feet rule for a child's broom.
Actually in retrospect maybe Potter's offspring was less work than the Malfoy children. At least he had seemed apologetic. Leo had simply been upset that he hadn't thought of the higher wall around the corner.
He cast his gaze at the children who were all displaying their just about acceptable table manners. Alex the oldest with his fine dark hair and green eyes. His face was longer than Potter's but the set of the chin, the eyes and the lip that would purse in utter stubbornness and determination was Potter through and through. Then there was Leo Malfoy whose name still made Lucius want to simultaneously laugh at the memory of how it had come about and cry at the idea of a Malfoy being named for a lion. With his golden hair and eyes he was quite the combination of his parents. He had a thirst for knowledge that Lucius approved of, far more than Draco had at his age. He also had a love for sports muggle and magical. He was a little bit shy and would tend to let the easy natured Alex go first but he wasn't exactly an angel either.
Then there was Evelyn Malfoy who was the most difficult of them all. Her Daddy's little girl she was a bossy little madam. There was absolutely no way that anyone would tell that girl what to do. Lucius smiled into his glass, that little girl would be his revenge upon Draco. She would put him through the ringer exactly as Draco had tried Lucius. Then Draco would see just how hard parenthood really was.
Speaking of the devil the youngest Malfoy couple walked in, both of them looking worn.
"Mummy"
Eve left her place at the table and flung herself at Hermoine. Leo waved from his chair while Alex looked behind them expectantly.
Hermoine shook her head "Papa's sorting out detentions at the moment. He'll come and get you tomorrow."
Ahh their family code for Severus was royally pissed off at something and was currently drowning his sorrows. .
Alex slumped a little looking disappointed. "Did they tell stories about Dad again?"
Hermoine smiled, "Yeah, Uncle Ron came up with a new one. I'll tell it to you later" she paused, "Actually if you all are in bed early perhaps we'll tell it to you all together" she said in a tone that implied it was a little bit against normal rules.
All of them looked excited at the idea, not one of them stopping to realise that while it wasn't common to have bedtime stories with the whole family it wasn't unheard of either. Lucius exchanged an amused look with his wife.
The children ate up and disappeared rather quickly after that. Hermoine trailing after them with a towel and trying to control the unruly rabble.
"So how bad was it this year?" Narcissa asked as they went into the sitting room with coffee.
Draco shook his head "Terrible. They banged on about Potter's noble sacrifice to make this world good again. Made some not so subtle digs at people who believed that he was coming back" he shook his head. "Thankfully all of them seem to switch off and don't pay attention during the speeches so I don't think many realised."
"Did Severus?"
Draco shrugged, "Haven't a clue. Black set him off again. Up until then in Weasley's bar it wasn't bad."
"Is she ok?" Lucius asked glancing at the direction his daughter in law had disappeared in.
"No" Draco said sitting down. "She plays negotiators constantly. Like she should be concerned about others today".
Narcissa looked at her son sadly and sighed. She looked at the stairs where their grandchildren had just disappeared and smiled, "Leo has decided that three foot is just not high enough for him"
Draco smiled proudly, "How high did he go?"
"Draco!"
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It was midnight when Ron Weasley was awoken by a flash of light and whining noise from his watch. Glancing at the girl in the bed beside him he eased out of bed and went to grab it. He knocked it off the desk and only just managed to catch it before it hit the floor.
The words COME IN NOW were scrawled across the face of it before fading away to a seemingly normal watch face.
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AN
Hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think – still trying to get the voices for the characters right so if anyone can suggest ways I can improve that I would be really grateful. :)
