Chapter 5

James Sirius Potter swore under his breath as he moved hurriedly through the still crowded street of Diagon Alley.

The day was well into its end, and James was sure that he had missed a good portion of the Potter/Weasley annual Saturday dinner.

But it couldn't be helped, his mother, Ginny Potter would understand that he had his own life away from the family.

With his new job at the Ministry, as the secretary to the head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, Angus Shacklebolt.

Along with his job he had to deal with his crazy relationship with his on and off again girlfriend, Gwyneth Fletcher.

Gwyneth, whether they were dating or not was a full time job all by herself, not that James minded all that much.

Still he couldn't be expected back home all the time, could he?

Besides it didn't make James feel any better knowing that his mother would forgive his tardiness.

When he knew she would still give him that disappointed look and that would guarantee that he'd feel guilty for the rest of the week.

Groaning slightly James stopped walking and looked around him, wondering slightly if he really wanted to deal with the large crowding family at the moment.

Quidditch equipment had gone missing.

James had spent a good majority of the day searching the storage area of the Ministry for the missing crates before being informed that there had been a theft at the museum.

It had turned out that the prized artifact, the signed snitch by Victor Crum given to his wife on his wining game had been donated to the new Museum of Wizard's History and Art had been stolen only three days away from the museum's grand opening.

This wasn't the only thefts; from other departments in the ministry things had been going missing too.

A few small things here, other impassably large things there…

James had even heard about things going missing from the Aura Department, the only place he hasn't heard anything going missing from was the Department of Mysteries.

And he was sure that this thief couldn't be crazy and stupid enough to try something like

that…

With a moan of irritation, James started walking again, there was no point in not going to his parent's house; his mother would never let him live it down if he didn't show.

Besides his father wanted to talk to him, James wasn't sure why but he had the suspicious feeling that it had something to do with his younger brother.

Albus… just thinking of his brother sent a chill down James's spine.

The last time James had spoken with Albus the other boy had threatened to have him assassinated in his sleep; he dared to enter the other boy's room again without his permission.

It had been last summer and James had only been planning on talking to his younger brother on their parents' wishes.

But when he entered Albus's room the youngest Potter son was nowhere in sight.

Sensing a one in a life time chance, James had thought it would be a good time to have a look around.

When would he ever have another chance like that again?

Rummaging through drawers as quietly as he could James had found nothing interesting until he reached Albus's bedside table.

There siting on along with some of Albus's school books was a little black book, it had been thick with papers bulging from within.

James had only got to the first page and briefly noted that the content looked as if it was a to-do list before there was a sound from behind him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

James whipped around, book still in hand, heart thumping to find his younger brother dripping wet, towel wrapped around his waist.

"Uh… H-hey little brother, this is not what it looks like" James had said and choked out a wired sounding laugh as if trying to play things off his snooping.

But he knew Albus wasn't going for it, one look in his cold emerald eyes and James could tell that the other boy was pissed.

"Is that right brother?" Albus had asked as he moved forward.

Albus's lips had curled disgustedly at the word 'brother' as if it was the vilest thing he had ever heard.

James frowned as he felt a chill go through him as he thought back to that moment.

He had been confused and somewhat terrified as he had watched his younger brother stalking towards him menacingly; as he did so he couldn't help but wonder.

How had none of them noticed this change in Albus, the cold hard look in his eyes, the smooth and threatening way he walked and carried himself.

It was almost as if there were two Albus Severus Potters.

One who was like that ten year old boy who laughed joyously as he trailed after James and his older cousins.

While this one was older and circulating with a bitterness about him… not to mention he was a Slytherin.

What had happened James wondered, what he or any of his family could have done to warrant this hatred from Albus.

That's was the question wasn't it?

James had heard his parents argue many times over it in hushed voices about Albus throughout the years.

When he was younger and still in Hogwarts, James had often watched his brother from across the Great Hall, trying to understand what made his parents so fearful.

James had watched as the Malfoy boy pulled the other Slytherin in his year around like a dog on a string.

And worst of all he saw how Malfoy seemed to have it out for his brother worse than he did for any of the others.

Still despite what he saw James had yet to tell his father.

Not that Harry Potter needed a reason to dislike the Malfoy heir; not that he was prejudice against the boy for his father's crimes.

In truth the Man-Who-Lived and the former Death Eater got on better than they ever did back in their school days.

Not that they were best friends or anything or that they even ran in the same circle of the ministry.

But they did work together on occasion seeing as James's father was Head Auror and Mr. Malfoy was the spokesman for the Department of Mysteries.

Still, besides the fact that James's father and Mr. Malfoy were no longer enemies, it wasn't a secret that the head of the Potter family didn't care too much for the Malfoy heir.

Not when Scorpius was nothing but an eleven year old kid, staying the night at Potter Manor and demanding that he got his own room for future purposes.

And Harry cared for the boy even less now that he was older and seemed to have some strange hold over Albus.

Truth be told, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was nothing more than a spoiled, bigheaded kid, who was too smart for his own good or anyone else's…well so says Harry Potter anyway.

Still, James could not understand the animosity that he had gotten from his brother that day he stood in the Slytherin Potter's bedroom, and even now he couldn't believe that Albus had threatened his life.

Strange thing was, if any one asked, James didn't think he would be able to tell them if he believed if Albus's threat was valid or not…

That was how much James didn't know his younger brother anymore, and he wasn't afraid to admit it to himself it kind of scared him.

With that known, James was a bit glad that he was late for dinner, despite his mother's wrath… less time he had to be in his brother's presence the less time he had to worry about his life…

Not that he really thought his life was in danger, or so James kept telling himself.

AN: hope you guys like this, and sorry for the long wait. Please Read and Review! I like to know what you think.