Chapter 7
Dinner at the Potters'
Once again, let me start by saying...thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! Please let me know what you think of this one, too! :)
I do not own Sev, Harry or the rest...
Harry was surprised by how nervous he felt as he straightened his robes in the mirror and tried, in vain, to get his hair to lie flat.
I'm being ridiculous. They're family! Well…even if they don't realize exactly HOW we're related…they won't care how I look… but then Harry froze, realizing that, perhaps it was unsurprising that he couldn't really believe the last. After all, it had been the Dursleys, his alleged family, that had pounded into him for so many years feelings of inadequacy, scruffiness and freakishness. But he knew the Dursleys had been unfair and absurd. Still, though, it had taught him, early on, that family did not necessarily equate to unconditional love. With his limited family experience, it was only in this recent relationship with Sev that he had received such a thing, he suddenly realized.
With that in mind, he left the bathroom and pushed his way into Sev's room. His first concern would be his son, this evening. He knew it was risky bringing the child, so insecure in many ways, in such close quarters with James Potter. Harry would have to be extremely careful not to let the boy's get too far out of sight.
"Sev? You ready?" He asked, smiling at the pale, messy-haired child, his dark eyes wide in nervous anticipation.
"Yeah, Daddy. I am."
Harry crouched down and stroked a hand through Sev's hair, again noting that, though it appeared messy as his, it was actually softer and silkier, more like his mother's. He marveled at how well Sev's glamorless appearance suited him.
"You look perfect, son." Harry looked him in the eye and said, seriously, "Now remember. Just because this is James' house does not mean you should do anything he tells you. If you feel uncomfortable, you can say no. In fact, I demand you say no, and if he gives you a hard time, I want you to tell me. Is that understood?"
Sev nodded somewhat hesitantly.
"I mean it. And I won't get mad at you, no matter what. I will always be there for you, Sev, to help you. Okay?"
He smiled more easily this time, and wrapped his arms around Harry's neck. "M'kay," he mumbled into his neck.
Harry smiled, cupping one hand on the back of Sev's head, and lifted him up off the ground, carrying him downstairs.
"Ready?" He asked Eileen.
She nodded. "Of course. I believe you were the one admiring yourself in the bathroom mirror," she added, smirking.
Harry sighed. "Fine, fine. Well, shall we?" And with that, he took her arm, clutched Sev tighter to his chest and apparated away.
Potter Manner was huge, and it hit Harry, with a jolt, just how wide the discrepancy was between the upbringing James Potter had received, and that of himself and Sev (particularly the Sev in Harry's own timeline). Harry momentarily wondered that, in his head, the older man he knew had become synonymous with Sev. When had that happened?
Severus gasped at the huge place, and then gripped Harry's neck tighter, refusing to be set down. Harry sighed, hoping this wouldn't be the beginning of a bad night. Admittedly nervous himself, he hesitated at the front gate, but then, at Eileen's prompting, pushed through onto the grounds. He took another moment to gulp as he let his eyes wander over the sprawling mansion and gardens, but was dragged on when Eileen firmly clamped his wrist in her hand as she walked confidently up the promenade.
As soon as they had neared the large veranda, the doors opened, and Harold and Helena Potter walked out, smiling warmly at them. Harry relaxed almost immediately, as they seemed genuinely glad to see them. Harold, though slightly pompous, seemed quite good-natured, and Helena was really down to earth.
James was not yet in sight.
"Oh, you came!" Helena beamed, racing forward to greet them. "I'm so glad."
"Yes, indeed. Very glad. Well, now. You don't want to catch a cold, do you? Come in, Mattheus, Eileen, and of course, young Severus," Harold said, his blue eyes twinkling at Severus in a way scarily reminiscent of Albus Dumbledore, Harry thought with amusement.
It would be interesting to see those two together. Perhaps they would make a competition out of twinkling back and forth at each other, Harry mused.
Realizing he had yet to respond, he awkwardly laughed, and said, "Oh, sorry! Kind of zoned out there. It's really good to see you, Harold. Helena." He smiled and shook their hands as they ushered him into the grand front hallway.
'Now, where might that Jamie be?" Helena said under her breath, sounding somewhat exasperated. Just as she said it, a pounding noise, as if a small hippogriff were in residence in the house, sounded down the stairs before them as James flew, running, into sight.
"Hi!" He yelled.
"Young man! Mind your manners!"
"Sorry, dad," he grinned cheekily. Turning to face the guests, he said, "Hey Sev. What's up?"
Severus smiled slightly and squirmed in Harry's hold. Harry, who hadn't even realized he'd still been holding onto the child, gently set him down and watched warily as he ran up to James and said, "Hi, Jamie!"
Feeling somewhat relieved, Harry crouched between them and said, "Hey there, Jamie. How have you been?"
James stared at him for a second, as if sizing him up, before saying, "Oh, hey Uncle Matthe. Um, I've been good, I guess. Mummy and Daddy still won't let me ride a real broom, so that's dumb, but I've been pretty good basically. I've got lots of new toys to show Sev, though!"
"Really?" Sev breathed.
"Yeah, of course!"
"Like what?"
James grinned, glad of the excuse to show off to his new friend. Suddenly grabbing Severus' hand, he said, "Come on! I'll show you my room!"
Harry, not particularly thrilled with the two boys running off alone so early on into the night, called out, "Oh, Sev? You have Staggy, right?"
"Oh, yeah! Of course, Daddy!"
Harry raced over to where the boys had paused at the foot of the stairs. "You remember how to talk to me using him, right?"
"Yeah!"
"Okay, good. Just, er, let me know if you need me, okay? You remember what we talked about."
Severus rolled his eyes. "Stop worrying, Daddy! You go have fun and play with the grownups." And with that, he snatched James' hand back and the two boys began to run up the stairs. Harry found himself watching them leave with trepidation.
He turned when he felt a light touch on his hand. "Stop worrying, Harry," Eileen said softly. "You don't need to take this daddy thing so seriously you smother him, you know," she whispered.
Behind them, the Potters laughed.
"First time away from your boy, is it?" Helena asked kindly.
Not sure how to respond to that, as it was his first time leaving Sev in someone's company other than his and Eileen's since he'd come back to the past, he just nodded.
"Don't worry, dear. I'm sure the boys will be fine. We can check up on them periodically if you'd like."
"Sure. Sorry, I know I'm a worrywart. Sev's just really sensitive is all."
Helena smiled as the four of them entered the living room, each of them taking a drink delivered by a house elf wearing a pillowcase with the Potter family crest.
Helena smiled at Harry, looking him over. "You know, for being such a distant relative, Mattheus, you and Sevvy sure look…well…" She laughed lightly. "It's almost striking, but you look so much like I would imagine James looking in a good many years. Are you sure you aren't a little more closely related?"
Harry met her eyes which were watching him with the slightest hint of calculation, and for a moment, he almost wanted to confess. To say, "I'm your grandson. That's why. I'm James' son." But the moment passed, and he just laughed it off, saying "I've noticed. It's quite the coincidence, I must say."
Eileen watched the interaction carefully, and she was almost certain the Potters had noticed Harry's slight hesitation before answering, not to mention how false his actual answer had sounded to her ears.
She stiffened when she noticed Harold Potter watching her with penetrating eyes. He smiled slightly at her and said, "Hm. My dear, I hope I am not overstepping my bounds too terribly, but it is most gratifying to see you here. There were…rumors that you had been cut from the family fortune for having a child with a muggle. I can see, now, that that was clearly nothing but a rumor, as young Severus is clearly-"
"Would you have a problem with that?" Harry cut in, his voice harsh in a sudden rush of barely-controlled anger.
Harold blinked at him over his glasses before smiling slightly. "Quite the contrary. We always thought it was quite liberating to hear of, though, most admittedly, not the disinheriting part. But of course neither I, nor Helen, would have a problem with relations with muggles of any kind. I was simply commenting on the pervasiveness of the rumor mill, as Severus is most certainly yours, dear Mattheus, and you are most certainly no muggle."
Harry relaxed a bit, but continued to eye Eileen warily. She didn't seem as put off by Harolds invasive question as he'd thought she'd be, however.
She smiled bitterly. "I was with a muggle, yes. But Severus is Harry's."
At Harry's expression, she said "I see no reason to lie about it, Harry. I did what I had to. It wasn't as if I had a choice."
The Potters were watching them in interest, but before any further questions were asked, the house-elf, Twixy, arrived to inform them that dinner was served.
The two boys pounded down the stairs minutes later, both looking quite cheerful, and dinner went without a hitch, Severus sitting between James and Harry, relaxing enough to answer his great-grandparents' (known only to Harry and Eileen) questions about his likes, interests, friends…
It was at this point that the night took a turn for the worse.
Severus grinned and said, "Well, Mummy and Daddy are my best friends, and Staggy, Mr. Panther and Jamie, too. But I also have another best friend. Do you want to meet her? Her names's Sellen!" Before Harry could say anything to stop what he feared would turn into an uncomfortable situation, Sellen slipped out from her hiding place under Sev's shirt, and the little boy giggled as her scales tickled him.
Helena and Harold looked somewhat taken aback, but quickly schooled their features into casual interest. James, on the other hand, suddenly jumped up, glaring and looking incredibly angry. "You! I knew it! You're a slimy, snakie Slytherin, aren't you?"
Severus looked confused and hurt by his tone. "Huh? What's wrong? Yeah, probably I'll be a Slytherin."
James sneered. "You're a sneaky liar. I even let you play with my toys. You get out of here, snake!"
"James!" His parents roared, but the damage had already been done.
Severus leapt out of his seat, eyes pooling with tears, and began to run out of the room, but James, with a suddenly crazed look, obviously fueled by fear and anger, had his eye on Sellen, who was curling where she had slid off of Severus. Picking up a fork, James made a move towards her as if to throw it, but before he could move more than a foot, Harry had snatched it from his hand and banished it, grabbing the boy by the shoulders and glaring at him with a ferocity extremely rare on his features. "Don't you dare touch either of them, James Potter," he hissed.
The room froze at the venom Harry was directing at the child. Even James was knocked out of his haze of irrational fear and anger at the normally soft-spoken man glaring and talking to him that way.
Harold and Helena looked frozen, completely aware that James was in the wrong, and further curious about why in Harry's expression as he looked at the boy, disappointment was obvious and raw. Eileen, though curious, went ahead and rushed out after Severus.
"You listen to me, James. You will learn. You must learn, that you can't judge people so easily. It's like walking around half-blind for your whole life. You saw a snake and decided Sev was evil. You did, didn't you?"
James wasn't looking at him, but he nodded his head slightly.
"Severus was just showing you his pet. There is nothing bad about that. But what was bad, James, was how you reacted. You took that fork and almost hurt Sev's friend. Do you see how that was worse?"
James scowled, but looked to be considering his words slightly, and shifted under Harry's grip.
Harry took a deep breath and said, his voice heavy and serious, "You also need to realize that not all Gryffindors are good. And not all Slytherins are bad."
At this, James looked up at him in confusion, clearly thinking he was off his rocker.
"It's true, James. I was in Gryffindor, but I know a Slytherin who saved my life over and over again. I also know a…Gryffindor…who betrayed everyone. Who went to work for an evil dark wizard. Who was very bad. Do you understand that?"
James looked taken aback. "A G-Gryffindor? But…you're lying!" He yelled.
Harry could not restrain his temper. He pulled away from James to avoid hurting the child, but he was no longer going to scrimp on details, young as he may be. "I am not lying," he said, forcing his voice to stay calm with Herculean force. "I would never, ever lie about this. It's his fault that my parents are dead," he whispered, and James looked at him in shock.
"Yes. He gave them to the dark wizard. It's his fault I grew up with no parents. Do you think I would lie about something like that?"
Slowly James shook his head, and backed up into his mother, who was watching Harry with pained eyes. "Harry, I'm so sorry," Helena whispered.
Harry shook his head.
"James will be appropriately disciplined," Harold added.
Harry took a deep breath and nodded. He cast one more glance at James, who was staring at his feet in what appeared to be shock, before leaving the room to find Sev clutching Staggy, Sellen curling around him, in Eileen's lap on the living room sofa.
Eileen looked up when he entered, but at Harry's dark look made no comment.
Harry carefully sat down behind Severus on the couch and reached forward to hug him, burying his face in his son's soft hair. "I'm sorry, Sev. This was a mistake. It was stupid of me to push you guys together," he muttered softly.
Severus spun around and crawled from his mother's lap into Harry's and buried his face in Harry's shirt. At the telling wetness, Harry felt even worse, and wrapped Sev up more tightly in his arms. "I'm sorry, Sev," he whispered.
"Don't be, daddy. He's just…I think he was scared, but he didn't have to be so mean," he whispered. "I mean…it was really fun playing with him. He even showed me this castle he built out of blocks and he's really good at it. We played with Staggy and his stuffed animals. And…I thought he would want to stay my friend," he said sadly.
"Oh, Sev," Harry said, hugging him even more closely. He froze when he noticed a small presence to his right. Harry and Sev looked up together, surprised to see James Potter standing there looking miserable. Apparently, he had heard Sev's words.
"I'm sorry, Sev," he said hoarsely. "I…I had fun, too. I shouldn't have been mean to you," he whispered.
Severus regarded him silently for a while, biting his lip. But then, to Harry's great shock, James gulped, took a step forward, and slowly reached out to pet Sellen. Harry gave the snake a warning look, silently telling her not to attack the child, and she grudgingly complied.
After the first tentative touch, James looked surprised, and tried stroking her again. Well, Harry thought. Ever the Gryffindor.
"She's…she's soft!" He said in shock.
Severus finally gave him a little smile, and said, "Yeah. She protects me. Because there are lots of bad guys around, and she can scare them away, Jamie! She won't hurt you as long as you don't threaten me. She's really good, I promise."
James looked at him and nodded. "Yeah. I'm…I'm sorry, Sev. It was awful of me to think you were bad so quickly. Sorry…" He gulped. "Sorry, S-sellen."
The snake gave a hiss which Harry interpreted as a sound of amusement.
"It's okay, Jamie," Severus said.
"Friends?" James asked hopefully.
"Sure."
"Good." James knelt down on the floor beside Sev, sparing a wary glance for Harry. Harry smirked inwardly. Imagine that. I'm my father's boogey man. Sighing slightly, Harry offered the tense boy a slight nod and approving smile and James relaxed minutely.
Since dinner had ended so abruptly, they decided to have dessert in the living room on various couches and squishy armchairs, and the boys were huddling on one chair, Staggy between them, enjoying hot chocolate and treacle tart. Harry was surprised by how quickly Severus had forgiven James. But then again, look at how quickly he accepted me. Poor kid's starved for affection…just like I was, he thought wryly.
As they were suiting up to go, the Potters pulled Harry aside.
"Mattheus, we really want to apologize again for James' behavior. It was…shocking, really. I'm very sorry."
"No, it's alright. And he really surprised me with his apology."
Helena studied him, and it looked as if she were trying to make some momentous decision. Finally, apparently having made up her mind, she said softly, "I know there's something you're not telling us, Harry." He gasped before he could stop himself.
"Oh, come on. That's how you introduced yourself at first, remember?"
He nodded, trying to act nonchalant, though he wanted to kick himself for his lack of subtlety.
"But see? You just confirmed it. You're not who you say you are. Whoever you are…you're Harry something, am I right?"
He didn't respond, but before he could change the topic, she continued. "I trust you, whoever you are. I can feel that you're trustworthy and…you are closer to us than you say, aren't you?"
When he glanced up at her again, trying to school his shock into casual inquiry, she explained, "The wards, Harry. We had planned to meet you up front. You shouldn't have been able to enter through the front gate. Only immediate family members can do that."
He gulped. Shit. He'd really blown that one.
"The question is, who are you?" Harold put in. "You look like me, but I can see something of Helena as well in the curvature of your face, which suggests you are related to the both of us. Our only child is James, and you are far too old to be ours anyway...well, and you have those remarkable eyes…those are something I haven't seen. So, where do you fit in?"
"I…can't tell you," he whispered.
"Might it cause a time paradox?" Helena asked knowingly. At the way his face paled further, she nodded in sudden understanding. Considering him for a while in silence, she sucked in a sudden breath as she apparently came to a conclusion.
"You…"
He looked up at her.
"That's why you were so angry with Jamie," she whispered in awe. "You're his son, aren't you?"
He opened his mouth to deny it, but she pushed on. "You said…that your parents died. That a Gryffindor betrayed your parents. You were warning Jamie, weren't you? That's what you were doing?"
Harry felt completely unable to respond.
"How old were you?"
"One and a half," he rasped, before he could stop himself, his shields crumbling all around him He slowly raised his eyes from his clenched fists to see that Helena looked as if she were barely holding on to her composure. She then asked, just as softly, "Did you never know us either?"
Slowly, Harry shook his head, and a moment later, he found himself wrapped in his grandmother's arms. He stiffened at first, but then, after a few seconds had passed, he let himself melt into them, surprised at the warmth he felt in the woman's embrace. For a time, she just held him that way, and he had to push his own tears back with a vengeance. A comforting movement on his back he soon realized was his grandfather, the man's sturdy hand moving in a circle which relieved some of his tension. He nearly lost it again right there.
Finally, Helena stepped back a bit and gazed at him for along moment before asking, "What's your name, sweetheart?"
Harry gulped and then whispered, "Harry James Potter."
She looked as if she might cry again, but then said, "So little Sevvy is our great-grandson?"
"Yeah," he whispered.
"That beautiful little boy." She said in awe. She then bit her lip, clearly finding the news to be overwhelming regardless of the fact that she had chosen to address it.
Harold then said, "Well, I'm not going to question you about why you're here or how. But know that this is between us. We would never do anything to endanger your existence."
"Thank you," Harry said, softly.
"I'm so glad we're getting the chance to know you, Harry. You seem to be an amazing young man from what I've seen so far. And don't worry. We'll try to keep our little brat out of trouble. Maybe this time, he'll make better decisions," she smiled sadly.
He nodded, unable to say anything else. The revelation of meeting immediate family members who recognized and seemed to want him was something he had always wished for, in the deepest, most central part of his being. And then he found himself in another crushing hug, this time with his grandfather, a good head taller than he, pulling him into his chest while his grandmother wrapped her arms around him from behind. Harry let himself melt into the warmth and support they were offering, content to stay there for a while.
It was like this that Eileen and the children found them.
"Er," Harry said at Eileen's raised eyebrow and suspiciously pointed look.
James was looking, in confused interest, between Harry and his parents. As was Sev.
"What are they doing?" James hissed in Severus' ear.
"How would I know?" He whispered back.
"Mum and Dad never act all touchy feely with people!" James exclaimed.
"Maybe cause we're your family or something?" Severus shrugged.
"Hm." James looked as if he were debating something and then, ever so slowly, opened his arms and hugged Severus.
Harry pulled away from his own grandparents in shock to see what he would never have imagined. James Potter, though awkwardly, was apparently imitating the way his parents had been acting, and now had Severus clutched against his chest as he lightly petted his hair. Harry bit his lips to keep from laughing, and he exchanged a knowing glance with Helena and Eileen.
"Maybe James won't be such a bad granddaddy after all," Helena whispered to Harry, before having to stifle an onslaught of giggles.
James let go of Severus and then shifted from foot to foot. "Um, Sev? You'll come again, right? Even though I was a prat?"
"I'll come, Jamie, for sure," Severus smiled.
James grinned and then gave him another short hug, again awkwardly tapping Severus on the head afterwards, something Harry found extremely amusing.
Overall, it had been a most eventful visit.
"Come visit us again soon," Helena called as she waved them out. Harry smiled at her and nodded.
"We'll write to you. Take care of yourselves, now!" Harold added.
Adjusting Severus, who was nodding off, in his grip, Harry waved goodbye and Eileen accepted a final short embrace from Helena, and a handshake from Harold.
That night, after putting James to sleep, Helena looked to her husband. "That poor child. Can you imagine what he's been through, Harry? He's so young. I didn't realize it when we first met him, but he's clearly not yet even twenty, and yet…his eyes. They look so old. As if he's seen the world end."
Harold sighed. "I know. I noticed it too."
"I'm glad I told him my suspicions. Even if it was risky. I realize he's not that much younger than we are but…we're his grandparents nonetheless. And he's clearly been alone for so long."
"His son is something else, too," Harold smiled. "I can tell. There's something special about both of them. All three of them, actually. That Prince girl has some spunk herself, if I do say so myself."
"There's more to their story. Much more."
"Yes, but there is only so much we can do. Let us do our best to be there for them. They are our family now, my dear. Not just little James."
"Yes."
I know that is a slightly odd place to cut off, but meh. I hope you don't mind I let the Potter grandparents figure it out. I figured, they might be some of the less-dangerous people to do so. And Harry and Sev deserve all the family they can get.
I hope I did okay with James again. He was awful, I know, but hopefully he made up for it a bit. I feel he's becoming something of a Ron Weasley/Draco Malfoy mix...with some of his own.
Anyway, happier stuff to come! Please leave a review!
tess4aria
