Chapter Two
Mrs. Hudson bustling in with scones a few minutes later roused Harry. "Good morning, darling," Violet murmured, going to her nephew. "Would you like something to eat?"
Harry nodded, then froze when he caught sight of the room's other occupants. "It's alright, love. This is my friend, Sherlock, and his landlady, Mrs. Hudson. They're nice."
"Oh, aren't you a dear!" Mrs. Hudson cooed, heading toward the boy.
"Mrs. Hudson," Sherlock said, bringing her attention back to him. "This is my… friend, Violet, and her nephew, Harry. They'll be staying with me for a few weeks, so you've no need for alarm at seeing them around without me. And don't you have a bridge club meeting to get to?"
"Sherlock, it's not for hours yet! And besides, someone you call friend is-"
"Thank you for the scones, Mrs. Hudson. They look delightful," Violet intercepted. "If this is what Sherlock enjoys on a regular basis, I'm surprised that he's not a blimp at this point."
"Oh, it's nothing, dear. Just a few scones, biscuits occasionally," she replied in false modesty. "But my lemon tart has won the bridge club's annual baking contest for three years in a row." The landlady was so engrossed in her telling that she didn't even realize that Violet was steering her toward the door.
"Lemon tart? That sounds delightful! I would love to try it some time," Violet hinted broadly, and Mrs. Hudson swelled under the adulation.
"Well, I do have several lemons on hand already. Do you think you'll be here for tea?"
"If you have a lemon tart, I can guarantee it."
"Then I'll get to it. Goodbye, Harry. It was nice to meet you."
A moment of silence graced the room before Sherlock broke it. "That was a masterful manipulation. I'd forgotten just how good you are."
Violet gave him a very pointed look, coupled with a jerky nod toward Harry. "How long do you think it will take Mycroft to come see who your mysterious visitors are?" she asked conversationally, putting out plates of scones out for each of the three of them.
"I expect he'll show in the next five minutes," Sherlock answered, vaguely nibbling on a scone. "The flat may have an Anti-Apparition jinx on it, but he can always Floo."
"Harry, darling, the scones are delicious. Do try one. And I suspect the Mycroft will take the car and be here in about fifteen minutes, since I had a rather good glamour charm when I approached your door. They've always been a speciality of mine," Violet replied. "He wouldn't have been able to recognize me, except for the eyes. He would get the vaguest sensation of knowing them somewhere, but the rest of me doesn't match what he would know, so it would drive him mad."
"You always were spectacular at knowing exactly which buttons to push for him," he said with a wildly entertained grin. "As long as you do that several times a week, you can stay here as long as you like."
"We're staying here, Auntie Violet?" Harry's tiny voice sounded for the first time in the flat.
Violet turned to him immediately. "We are, Harry," she answered warmly. "Sherlock's been nice enough to let us stay here for a bit while I look for a place for us. Does that sound alright to you?"
Harry inspected the man in question for a moment, before nodding solemnly. "He's awfully tall," he commented.
"And just as full of himself as he is tall," Violet replied with a smile, gaining a giggle and a scowl as her reward.
"Your aunt is just as bad as I am, I assure you, Harry," Sherlock told the boy. "She never thinks she can do anything wrong."
"But she can't," Harry said emphatically. "She's brilliant! She tells th' best stories, an' always has th' best sweets, an' she gives th' best hugs. She's th' best!"
"Well, it would seem that you have Harry well trained, at least," Sherlock told Violet, who merely grinned in response.
"Harry, would you like to watch the telly? I'm sure Sherlock won't mind," she said, throwing a mischievous grin at the man.
"Oh, by all means," Sherlock said sardonically. "My home is yours, apparently."
Violet couldn't help the grin on her face as she got Harry settled in front of the telly, CBeebies playing a children's show. "Does it really have to be that inanity?" Sherlock complained.
"Harry loves it, so stuff it," was Violet's quietly growled response. "Petunia's son, Dudley, never let Harry watch what he wanted. In fact, he would watch something he hated just so Harry couldn't watch a show he wanted to. Apparently, Petunia wants him to be as big a bully as his father."
After that, Sherlock didn't complain about Harry's choices in television. He simply watched with Harry, pointing out the answers to the questions asked when the boy seemed unsure, and praising him when he volunteered the answer. Violet smiled, then began to clear the table of the scone remnants with a swish of her wand.
"Auntie Violet, you can't do that!" Harry cried desperately. "Not in front of Lock!"
She instantly knew what he meant and tried to assure him. "It's all right, darling-"
"No! It's a secret! You'll be in trouble!" The poor boy was nearing hysteria, and Violet rushed to his side, only to be beaten by Sherlock. He calmly took the boy in his lap and looked around the room.
"It's fine, Harry. Where is- Oh, here we go," he said softly, and a thin stick came rushing into his hand. "Were you worried about your Auntie using magic in front of me?" The boy nodded slowly, eyes wide and locked on the wand. "Then you don't have to worry, since I've got magic, too."
"You do?" Sherlock nodded, and Harry instantly burst into more questions. "Did you go to Higwarts? Do you have an owl? Can you ride a broomstick?"
"No, I didn't attend Hogwarts," Sherlock answered, emphasizing the proper pronunciation without being unkind about it. "I don't have an owl, since it's a tad conspicuous to have one flying from a flat in the middle of London. That's what the post office is for, anyway. And yes, I can ride a broomstick, thought I prefer other modes of transportation."
Harry's entire attention was focused on Sherlock as he pestered the man for more information about the wizarding world, completely ignoring the telly in favor of learning more about magic. In turn, Sherlock answered every question with surprising patience, never once getting sharp with the boy. Violet watched with entertained awe.
Footsteps on the stairs alerted her to a new presence. Smirking, she broke into the others' conversation. "I should have made a bet with you, Sherlock. I was right, nearly down to the second, on how long it would take Mycroft to appear."
"Who are- Violet Evans. I thought we'd seen the last of you nearly twenty years ago." The man, with his thinning red hair, impeccable three-piece suit, and black umbrella, seemed to wilt a bit at the sight of Violet, for just a moment, before puffing back up.
"It's only been sixteen years; there's no need to exaggerate, Mycroft," she said offhandedly, but there was a tiny smile at the corner of her mouth, just begging to be released.
Mycroft's mouth flattened even more; Violet was a bit impressed. She hadn't thought it was possible. "What are you doing here, Violet?"
"I believe that's between me and your brother, Mycroft," she replied calmly.
"Sherlock, what is- Are you holding a child?" Mycroft's face had gone nearly white with what seemed to be fear.
"Why, yes, I am. Say hello to your Uncle Mycroft, Harry," Sherlock said, standing with the child to join the other two. Harry didn't seem to think much of the newcomer, however, and buried his head in Sherlock's neck. Sherlock, in return, merely held the boy closer.
"'Uncle'?" was the barely audible question from Mycroft. "'Uncle'? When did you- How long have you- Does Mother know?"
The temptation to continue the charade was rather high, but Violet took pity on Mycroft. After all, the poor man's face was now a rather ashy grey. "Harry isn't Sherlock's son. He isn't even mine. He's Lily's," she said significantly.
The change in his expression was remarkably swift. It took less than three seconds for Mycroft to go from worried and slightly apprehensive, possibly even fearful, to calculating, manipulative, and just a touch awed. "Quit looking at him like that," Sherlock snarled. "He's a boy, not a tool for you to use. And now that you've satisfied your curiosity, I think it's time for you to leave." At that, Sherlock turned, still holding Harry, and proceeded to teach the boy the different parts of the skull that resided on his mantlepiece.
"I thought Dumbledore had Mr. Potter tucked away somewhere in the Muggle world," Mycroft said softly, not seeming inclined to move from his position next to Violet.
"And I thought Sherlock told you to leave," was her response. At his raised eyebrow, she sighed, relenting. "Dumbledore did send Harry to live with Petunia. She was the more logical choice, given that she and Lily were full siblings, and I was-"
"Married to a Death Eater?" Mycroft supplied helpfully.
She glared at him. "Yes, that. Anyway, with my husband's death, I was able to finally visit, and I didn't like what I saw. Petunia's horrible husband beat Harry, and when they weren't beating or yelling at him, they were ignoring him. From what I saw, and what I know of Petunia, I'd say they were trying to squash the magic out of him. He was probably only a few years shy of becoming an Obscurial," she added in a whisper.
"How could they do that? To Harry Potter?" Mycroft exclaimed, all righteous indignation.
"How could they do that to a child? Regardless of who the child is," Sherlock corrected, having deposited Harry back on the couch with Mr. Bloom's Nursery.
Mycroft nodded once, in ill humor, then asked Violet, "So what do you propose to do now? With Harry, and with the Dursleys."
Not surprised that Mycroft knew the family's name, Violet answered slowly. "I'm going to do the best I can for Harry, which unfortunately means I can't be petty and drag him through a nasty trial to give Vernon what he deserves. Unfortunately, I have to be a mature adult for Harry."
Mycroft nodded sagely. "And just what are you going to do with Harry?"
She shrugged. "I'll be looking for a place for us to live, then I'll make it the safest place possible for him. Then he's going to have the best childhood I can give him, as close to what Lily and James would have wanted for him as I can manage. And Merlin help the poor fool who tries to interfere."
AN: Holy crap, guys! I am overwhelmed by the amount of response this story has gotten. I've never had a story this well received at first. It melts my heart a little bit, to be honest. I'm so excited for this story, and it makes me happy that you all seem to like it so much, as well. Thank you thank you thank you to all who followed/favorited, and a huge thank you to .9, Sarah, Vi38, Fai's smile, and the two guests for your reviews. Fai's smile, I hope this ending balanced out those cavities from the last one!