Ok, I'm so sorry for delay in updating. To be honest I think I probably be busy till early in the March. I try update as much as I can but I won't promise anything because I have Pre-Internship exam.
I want to thanks to all you great friends who read and review the story, especially 'Perseus Orion Black' and 'Mrs. Vega'.
And also I want thank marauder716, my dear friend and Beta, who doesn't desert me.
Chapter Seven:
There was a knock on the door which caused James to look up from his homework. He'd spent at least three hours per day since he had came back home. That was becoming his and Romulus' habit: 'Always do the homework first, so you'll have more time to enjoy!' it was somehow their motto…well their motto in regard to the homework! Believe it or not.
"Come in," he answered. The door opened slowly and his dad stepped into the bedroom.
"Hey there, son. How are you doing?" Harry said brightly.
"Hey dad. I'm fine…well, if this Potion essay let me be," James answered or rather whined childishly at the end. Harry shook his head in amusement.
"You know, I never thought I'd see a day that you study in the summer! I thought the moment you stepped into the house, you'd bounce off the walls. I was preparing myself to buy another house after you three were done with this one," Harry winked at him.
"Ah, well, it's kind of a deal between Romulus and I- to do our homework in the first week and enjoy the rest!" He said with a maniac smile.
Harry laughed heartily- He hadn't missed the emphasis on the 'enjoy'- before sighing in order to calm himself, "Uh, Romulus…"
"Dad, do you give my letter and Seana's photos to him? He didn't give you a reply?" James asked suddenly, remembering the letter he had given his dad the previous day.
"Er…I gave them to Tom yesterday to give to him," Harry admitted uneasily.
James frowned at his dad uncharacteristic behavior, "I thought you wanted to talk to him."
"Oh, well…yes I'll talk to him, but not now. I want to talk to you about him first."
"What's the matter Dad? Why do you want to talk me first? Is he okay?" James asked worriedly.
"Everything is fine, I promise…well…can we sit and talk?" Harry pointed at the seat in front of the little fireplace and beside James' bed. James nodded and then walked to sit on his bed. Harry settled himself on the seat, while James gathered Seana from his bed into his arms.
"What's the matter Dad?" James asked again.
Harry took a deep breath before starting slowly, "I want to talk to you first because…because I might know who Romulus' parents…well, one of his parents were."
"Really? How so?" James whispered with a hanging mouth and a pair of wide eyes.
"I'm not sure. Yesterday I went to give him your letter and I stood aside for a while and watched him from a distance. He seems so familiar to me, so I need you to tell me everything you know about him, ok?" Harry answered truthfully. "This way I can be sure about my theory before talking with him."
"Ok, right...err…where should I start?"
"From the very start. You said in your first letter that you met him on the train ride to school, so start from there," Harry said. He'd read and re-read all the letters that his son had sent that year over and over again to find more information about Romulus White and he had memorized them by now.
"Ok…well after I left you guys, I was looking for a compartment- an empty one mind you- and his was the nearest to empty and he seemed like a good person. So I went in and we talked a little…I really don't remember most of our conversation, but we talked about friendship and how I must be careful about whom I befriended, because of my name. He was and still is very calm- but not the boring kind, you know? And…well just being around him is fun and kind of comfortable. He looked very aristocratic so I thought he was one of those strict close-minded pure-blood children but he said he didn't remember his parents- and if you say maybe you knew his parents, he could be one…anyway we got sorted in Gryffindor…what else?"
"How is he in the classes?" Harry asked curiously.
"He is a genius, I mean he can do magic easily and he doesn't read too much, but listens carefully in classes and learns from there. He became top student in our year. Teachers love him, but he's not a teacher's pet kind of person. He loves Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts the most. He easily changed his match into a needle in our first class on his first attempt. And you won't believe it dad, he easily learnt to fly. Madam Hooch said he's a natural if he's never touched a broom. She also said that he could be a great Beater because of the pose he gets in the air," James was ecstatic about the last part. "I tell him that we should try-out for the team as Beater and Seeker. I told him I'll lend him some of my Quidditch books…"
"Jay, Jay, Jay. We're here to talk about your friend- not Quidditch, remember?" Harry cut him off in his excitement with obvious amusement in his tone.
"…err…sorry, Dad," Jay looked sheepishly at Harry before shifting Seana in his arms. The puppy yipped happily before snuggled closer in James' arms and closed her eyes in bliss.
"Okay what else?"
"He has nightmares, but he never talks about them. Well, except once. He said he dreamt of a man who, he thought, was dying and Romu wanted to help him, but then he realized that it's himself who's dying not that man and that man is trying to help him…"
A flash of memory crossed Harry's mind, but he said nothing and let James continue.
"After his nightmares he can't return to sleep so we'd go…erm…go to the common room and talk or play chess or do something until he could sleep again…err…" James stopped talking to think about what else he could tell his dad.
"Did he say anything about his past? About his parents or the orphanage?" Harry asked curiously.
"Umm, he said a nun found him in a grave yard and then sent him to that orphanage he was in. He was seven at that time and he doesn't remember anything before that. The nun who found him named him Romulus White," James answered as much as he remembered.
"What are his habits? What does he like or dislike?" Harry asked.
"Err…he likes…or as he himself put it, obsesses about canines. When we found Seana, he knew a great deal about her, I mean he knew what she wanted and needed and it seems Seana likes him much more than anyone else, even me. It seems they read each other…um…he loves astronomy and always talks in riddles about the moon and stars, kind of like Centaurs. I remember once he showed me the Dog-Star, Sirius, and said 'That's Sirius, the Dog Star. The brightest star…but it can't compete with the moon.'…it's another thing about him- he loves to talk in riddle...erm...umm…he's not a bookworm but he reads books that finds them amusing…that's all I can think of right now, dad," James wanted to say more, about the chaos and pranks they'd made and pulled, about the Roamers, about their nightly stroll and so much more…but that was classified information! Harry thought about what his son had told him. There were many puzzle pieces that could fit perfectly in their places, but there were other pieces which had no place at all. Pieces like calmness, doing homework first, talking in riddle and…well you always can blame the mother for those, but what about his age? That was the biggest problem.
"Anything about his friends before Hogwarts?" Harry asked.
"Well…he doesn't like to have too many close friends. He's very friendly with others and well, you can call them his friends, but I'm the only one he trusts and is his best friend. He said too many close friends could cause problems that you can't imagine. He believes that you must trust and have faith in your friends but never ever trust them completely with your's and the ones you love's life- except your best one…and there was this guy that was his best friend until two years ago…I don't remember his name, something like Matt or whatever. Romu said he was adopted by a rich family who couldn't have children of their own. Since then, he'd spent most of his time with a little girl named Susie if I'm not mistaken."
"Ah yeah, young Susie. Right now she's with Romulus," Harry said with a mixture of relief and sadness.
"What? What do you mean she's with him? I thought Romu came to Moon-Star?" James asked incredulously.
"Oh, Romulus is at Moon-Star right now- it's Susie who came there as well. You see, she was bitten by one of Greyback's lackeys," Harry answered grimly.
"Oh my god, poor girl. Is she alright? How did Romu take the news? Is he alright?" James asked hurriedly. Concern for his friend was shining in his hazel eyes.
"They're both alright. The way I saw them and from what Tom told me, he took the news fine and supports the girl in every way he can. Well Jay, I want you to write a letter to Romulus and invite him for an overnight here, ok?" Harry said as he leaned forward in his seat.
James bit his lower lip in thought before saying, "I don't think he'll come Dad."
"Why not?" His dad asked in confusion.
"Because…do you remember I sent a letter before Christmas and asked if Romulus can come and stay with us?" at the nod of affirmative from his dad, James continued, "He said he won't come here anytime soon because otherwise people will talk about us and our friendship…and his reasoning seems sort of rational…he said people can't see the trust that we have for each other and that he doesn't mind what others think, but he doesn't want our friendship ruined with their meddling and gossip…and I think he's right…I'm your son and heir and he's an orphan boy-not many people can see past that."
Harry smiled proudly at his son. Beside his childish and playful nature, James seemed to be mature, intelligent and thoughtful about his surroundings and it seems this Romulus boy was the same.
'Or should I call him Sirius Jr.?' Harry thought
TBC
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Pls tell me what you think.
