4 years later
"You are really leaving, aren't you Luc?"
Lucius stood up in surprise from his preparations for last minute packing to turn and look at the newly turned six year old standing in his doorway.
"Yes," he replied, laying the shirt he had in his hands back down on top of the pile on his bed, "I leave tomorrow for my first year at Hogwarts." At Harrison's disappointed and saddened look he hurried over to his young betrothed and dropped to his knees before him to look him in his beautiful emerald eyes. "It will only be a few months until you see me again Harry, I will be home for Yule in December and won't return to Hogwarts until the third of January, then the week of Easter," he said, smiling. "I will be back in your hair again before you know it."
Harrison nodded slowly, putting on a brave smile that didn't reach his eyes at all.
Lucius reached out for Harrison's dainty hands and pulled him close. Looking into those beautiful emerald eyes he asked, "However, will you promise to be strong for me while I am gone? Will you keep as safe and healthy as you possibly can? We want you to go to Hogwarts in five years after all, right?"
"Right," Harrison replied with a tiny giggle. "I will do my best to keep healthy while you are gone Luc, but it is usually out of my control you know . . . the curse flares up whenever it likes no matter what I do," he added cuddling against Lucius' chest and nuzzling his face into his neck as Lucius wrapped his arms around him and pulling him down onto his lap.
"I know love," Lucius said, holding Harrison carefully against him. "Believe me, I know and I wish that I could make it all better, even if I have to find the person who did this and torture them into telling me the counter myself."
"Thank you Luc," Harrison said, pulling away slightly so that he could look the older boy in the face with a look of admiration and gratitude. "Good luck at Hogwarts, I hope that you have fun there! I know that you will be sorted into Slytherin just like you are hoping to be."
Lucius smiled at the boy in his arms who knew him so well.
Harrison had been cursed by a group of witches and wizards when he was only just two years old after attending a Yule Ball that was annually hosted by and held at the Ministry of Magic, and now four year later the reason for the attack on the seemingly random family as well as the counter to the curse were still unknown and the odds of discovering it without the help of the caster were not good.
The curse was horrible to watch at work, it forced the person who had been cursed to remain bedridden for sometimes weeks at a time, too weak to even raise their head at times, the person needing constant attention. It weakened the immune system causing the person to almost constantly become ill and sapped out the persons physical as well and magical energy at completely random intervals. Yet Harrison endured it bravely, even at the age of five he toughed out the testing and pointless treatments as well as the symptoms, putting on a brave face for all of those that cared about him. He was determined to go to Hogwarts when he was eleven, just like everyone else, no matter what he had to do. If he had to spend every weekend, or however much time was needed, in a bed in the hospital wing and doing makeup work as he could then he was willing to do it, he didn't want to act or be treated any differently than the other students.
There wasn't a day that went by since the attack on the Potters that Lucius hadn't spent some amount of time with Harrison and each day when he saw his betrothed he grew more impressed and proud even as he wished the group of attackers had been caught and the countercurse discovered.
Lucius knew that the point of a betrothal was to produce an heir, and he knew that one day after Harrison's curse was broken that he and Harrison would, but in those early years neither truly understood the idea or actions behind producing an heir besides it being their duty as a promised couple. Lucius admired his betrothed and loved him, even at such a young age and knew that Harrison loved him as well, but it was in no way "sexual" as Lucius' mother said that it would be in another handful of years, it was a caring and adoring, slightly childish love but love all the same no matter how cliche and sappy it sounded. Being away from one another would be difficult for a while, but Lucius knew - and he hoped Harrison would as well in time - that the separation would grow easier with the passing of time.
A while later Lucius pulled back from Harrison and grinned down at him, pushing away any and all sad or anger-causing thoughts. "How would you like to help me finish my packing for tomorrow?" he asked, to which Harrison's eyes lit up as he nodded quickly with a bright smile. Lucius stood and led Harrison over to his bed where all of his things were laid out for a final check before being placed in his trunk.
Lucius had Harrison hand him things as he asked for them until everything was packed away and ready for Lucius to leave the next morning. When they had finished Lucius collapsed on his now clear bed, pulling a giggling and squirming Harrison to lay tightly against his side. "Maybe," Lucius said thoughtfully, "if we asked especially nicely, you could come to the station with mother, father and I to see me off on the Hogwarts Express in the morning."
"I would like that Luc," Harrison replied happily, smiling up at him that adorable childish grin of his that made his eyes gleam like actual gemstones in the correct lighting. "And maybe I could stay with you tonight too, so that we could spend as much time together as we can before you leave," he added hopefully as he turned onto his side and draped one small arm over Lucius' stomach as he snuggled up to his side, Lucius' arm wrapping around his back in response to his change of position.
"Maybe love, maybe."
A/N Another short chapter, but they'll be getting longer - promise. These have just been more of history leading to the actual plot. Next chapter Harry will start his 1st year at Hogwarts.
