Hey ! This chapter is more family-centric, watch out for the next one, for it's going to be New Year Eve's Party, and I won't say anymore about it right now ;)
Please, review if you enjoy this. Keeps me motivated :)
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The mood at the Burrow was not as joyful as Harry had hoped.
The kids were still glaring at each others. James was teasing Rose a lot about Scorpius and Lily was very angry with her brother. Albus kept to himself a lot, a sudden change, as he was usually always hanging with Rose when they were at home. Hugo was trying to find his place in this mayhem.
Molly had been looking at Harry reproachfully since he had arrived and he suspected she was waiting to corner him about Teddy.
Thank god she doesn't know what I told him...
After a not so cheerful morning, they all sat for lunch, the smell was tantalizing and Harry managed to forget his moody kids when he saw Molly arriving with a gigantic pot of Veal stew.
"So, Harry, is Teddy going to drop by today?" Molly asked, feigning innocence.
Hermione, Ginny, Ron and Harry all looked at each others.
"I don't think so Molly, he said Andromeda needed him"
"Humm" said Molly, her lips pursed.
"I just thought… Victoire said she might apparate here before New year's eve…"
"Well, I will let Teddy know about that" Harry assured her.
Molly did not talk about it anymore and Harry finally relaxed.
His relaxed state did not last very long though. After dinner, as they were having tea, Harry heard Albus shout, so loud that all the occupants of the kitchen jumped as one. Harry quickly got to his feet and took his wand out, Ron beside him.
Harry perused the kitchen to check if anyone else was missing. James was nowhere to be seen.
Running up the stairs, Harry located them, right in front of Albus's opened bedroom door. Harry had never seen his son in such a state. He looked extremely mad, his face red, his shoulders trembling furiously, his wand raised.
In front of the distraught Albus stood James who did not look as self-confident as usual.
Harry quickly threw a protective spell around James, who glanced at his father and shrugged awkwardly.
"It was just a joke dad!" he said, looking worried.
"YOU STUPID PRICK! I'M TIRED OF YOUR JOKES! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!" shouted Albus, his face contorted.
"Enough now!" Harry raised his voice. "Tell me what is going on!"
Albus suddenly registered his father presence and hurried in his room.
Harry shouted for him to wait but Albus shut his door and Harry heard it click.
He rounded on James who was still looking at the door in disbelief.
"What did you say to him?" asked Harry, very sternly.
"It was nothing dad! Just a joke" James defended himself.
Harry looked at him with the Auror look and he saw James shrink under his stare.
"I just… I was making fun of him because he was so sulky since we got here…"
"And?" prompted Harry.
"And…." started James looking shameful, "And I said that he was hiding from Rose because he was jealous of her…" James continued, shrinking even more, "I said I knew he wished he was snogging Scorpius instead of her! I'm sorry dad!" finished James, looking mortified.
What the hell ?
Harry took a step back.
He turned around to see Ron, Hermione and Ginny looking just as bewildered as he felt.
"James, please go to your room and wait for me there" said Harry after he had recovered his voice.
He looked resolutely at his friends and wife before knocking on Albus's door.
"Go away!" he heard through the door.
"Albus, it's me, open the door please" said Harry calmly.
"Just go away dad, please!" he heard Albus cry.
Albus was obviously distraught.
Harry felt immensely distressed and sad for his son but he knew better than to impose himself when Albus was in such a state.
He looked helplessly at Ginny, who did not even acknowledge him. She was still staring at Albus's door.
"I think, maybe you should give him some time… to calm down" suggested Hermione, sympathetic.
Harry hesitated but had to admit she was probably right.
He took a deep breath and knocked on James' door instead. He pushed it open and saw his son sitting on his bed, looking nervous.
"James, whatever happened to you for being so insensitive to your brother?" Harry asked, calmly.
James sniffed and Harry tried to recall the last time he had seen James crying. He couldn't remember. He walked towards the bed and sat next to his son, squeezing his shoulder gently. James slowly looked up at his father.
"I'm so sorry dad, I had no idea, I was just joking…" James said, in a sad voice.
"Well, you need to be more attentive to other people feelings. You've hurt Rose, and now you've hurt Albus…" Harry shook his head.
"Tell me what is going on with you. Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.
James looked at his father for a moment without saying a word. When he finally opened his mouth he said : "You can't tell mum…"
"I'll be the judge of what I tell your mother, James…" Harry answered flatly
"But you can trust me to filter anything I think she does not need to know…" he added more gently.
James looked at his father, full of hope.
"Well, It's just… I was dating Sarah, and then Mary. But then I fancied Hestia…" Harry closed his eyes. His son really was a going from girls to girls… He tried not to scowl. Or smile.
"But well.. it didn't work out. And then I realised that it was actually Violet that I really liked from the start… only, she said I was just a pompous prat when I asked her out!"
Harry actually laughed, a tear in the eye.
James looked at him, affronted.
"Dad, I'm actually sharing with you now! And you were all about being sensitive with others!" he said, reproachfully.
"I'm sorry James" Harry laughed, "You just remind me of your grandfather so much"
James looked intrigued.
"I never really knew my father, but I've learned a lot about him throughout the years. And… well. James, my father, was a charmer, not unlike yourself. And I know for a fact that his future wife used to call him "a pompous prat" once…" Harry smiled.
"Lily" said James surprised, "my grandmother"
Of course Harry's children knew all about their grandparents.
James smiled. "I never knew that" he stated.
Harry smiled at him before looking a bit stern again.
"James, I don't want to interfere but I must warn you about going from girl to girl. You hurt them. You do. Be sensitive James. Just think more before you act, please." Harry said seriously.
James nodded shamefully.
"And as for this… Violet… I'm sure she must be quite a great girl, if you like her so much… And if you do, you'll find your way to her, just be patient" Harry told his son. "And maybe, don't strut the castle that much with every Hogwarts girls on your arm for a while..." he added as an afterthought.
James managed a small smile.
"You will have to apologize to Rose and Albus. And I trust you'll respect your brother and his privacy?" Harry added sternly.
James nodded sadly.
"Are we good James?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, dad, thanks…"
"We all make mistakes, James, just learn from them please…" finished Harry.
James nodded as his father got up to leave the room.
"Dad!" he suddenly said, "about mistakes, care to tell me about the time you arrested mum?" tried James, a mischievous smile on his lips.
Harry laughed and closed the door.
He found himself on the threshold between his son's rooms again. He was about to knock on Albus' door when the door opened quietly. It was Ginny.
"How is he?" asked Harry.
"Sleeping… He was not making any sense Harry! I had to give him some soothing potion… and he fell asleep." she explained, concerned.
"Did he say something about the argument?" asked Harry a little tense.
Ginny shook her head. She bore into Harry's eyes, trying to see what he thought.
"Best if we let him rest for now" said Harry, "We'll talk to him in the morning".
They went downstairs, feeling every eyes on them, Harry inhaled deeply.
"It's okay, don't worry… brothers tantrum… I'm sure you've known worst Arthur and Molly!" he said gravely.
Arthur let out a nervous laugh.
Everybody relaxed and resumed their activity. Ginny opened another bottle of wine and sat across her father.
Only Hermione was looking at Harry, concerned.
He moved his head towards the exit of the kitchen and she got up immediately to follow him.
"Harry, what happened? Are the boys all right?" she asked straight away.
"James is okay". Harry told her. "But I haven't talked to Albus yet… Hermione what was that all about?" he asked her, needing her to help him understand.
"Well, it's not me you should ask, it's Albus…" she looked at Harry in the eyes.
There it was, the confirmation that Hermione had understood the same thing he had.
If Hermione thinks it too, It must be right…
"Do you think he's…" Harry breathed deeply. "Do you think Albus is in love with Scorpius?" he finally asked.
Hermione smiled at Harry, reassuringly.
"He might. You need to talk to him, not me, but Harry, I think he might".
Harry sat on the ground and pushed his hair out of his eyes.
My son loves boys. My son loves boys. Okay. I just need a minute to get used to it.
Hermione seemed to sense his struggle for she sat on the ground next to him and squeezed his shoulders. He looked at her. She kissed his cheek softly.
"You're a good father Harry, I know you are. Just be patient with Albus, let him come to you when he's ready…" Hermione said, taking his hand in hers.
Harry nodded. It felt good to have Hermione with him, to feel her hand in his. They had not been alone together since their last lunch. They stayed under the starry sky for a while, hand in hand, in silence.
When Albus didn't come out for breakfast the next morning, Harry just let him be. But when it was time for them to take the floo powder back home Harry had no choice than to knock on Albus door.
"Albus, are you alright?" Harry asked gently through the door. "We are supposed to leave now, but if you'd rather stay a little longer, I'm just going to wait for you downstairs."
He heard a faint voice answer :
"I can't leave, not right now".
"Okay, just come downstairs when you're ready, the others are all leaving now" Harry explained.
He drank three cups of tea and had to refuse a third serving of Molly's ginger biscuits before Albus arrived.
He looked dreadful. Not looking at his father in the eye, he walked towards the chimney and waited in the crate, floo powder in his hand.
Harry felt so sorry for Albus. To see him so distressed was torture. He walked towards the chimney and took some powder too.
They saluted Arthur and Molly and were gone.
When they arrived, Albus detached himself from Harry right away and ran for his room. Harry was troubled.
How do I talk to him if he can't even look at me?
Acting on impulse, Harry ran after Albus and managed to block the door before his son had locked it. Albus looked at his father in terror.
"Albus, I'm sorry. It won't take long. I have only one thing to say. Please listen to me" he said through the small opening of the door. He heard Albus quieting on the other side.
"I love you. Exactly how you are. Whatever might cross your mind, just know that I'm here for you. I won't push you. I won't ask questions until you come to me. I love you. Trust me" Harry said, his heart in his throat.
Harry heard a faint sniff and finally let go of the door.
It had been a very strange holiday.
Ginny had deduced the same that Harry had about Albus but they did not discuss it much. They simply assured each other that they would let Albus come to them and that they loved him very much. Albus had not talked about the event of that day to Harry or Ginny but he seemed to feel good at home again.
James was being very polite to his brother since the incident. Albus was looking at him suspiciously but seemed rather relieved to be left in peace. Lily was not aware of any of it and she was just as cheerful as ever, once James had apologized to Rose. The glare she had shot at her brother when he had started his apologies reminded Harry very much of Ginny when she was mad at Ron.
They spent two days at home, just the five of them, before Teddy arrived.
The moment Lily saw him, she jumped in his arms and shrieked in delight like she had done to Harry after coming back from Hogwarts.
Teddy was sort of a half god when it came to Harry's children. But he looked very down. Harry passed him the information that Victoire was supposed to pop at the Burrow very soon and his face illuminated.
Harry beamed at him.
There it is, win her back Teddy!
"And of course, you are welcome to our New Year's Eve party Teddy, but I gather you already have plans?" Harry asked.
"I might drop in before joining my friends later" Teddy had thanked Harry.
Ginny was preparing for the party. She had ordered food and drinks in what Harry thought was an overly large quantity. He asked her again how many people were supposed to attend but he lost count again.
Ginny simply said that she intended to have lots of fun at her own party.
The christmas decorations were everywhere Harry looked. Ginny had also enchanted mistletoe to appear at random places of the house before disappearing to another location. He discovered them one after the other, laughing everytime Ginny pointed above his head and came forward for a kiss.
As for the kids, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione had arranged that they would all stay together at the Burrow on the night of the party.
On the last day before the party, Harry went to his office on the second floor of his house and decided to check with the office if anything important required his attention.
He saw a file on his desk and suddenly remembered about that Auror application Eliza had given him a few days ago. He had not really forgotten about it but the events of the last few days had made him focus on family first.
Harry opened the file and gasped loudly. Teddy was smiling and winking at him, all the while screwing his face and changing his hair from black to bright blue.
Harry pulled the file down and sighed. Teddy had not told him anything about his application, of course, because he wanted Harry to treat him like any other applicant.
Harry had mixed feelings about Teddy's application. On the on hand, he was a very good candidate, and Harry was sure Teddy would perform brilliantly as a trainee and that he could trust his godson. On the other hand… Teddy's mother had been an Auror. And she had died that night, at Hogwarts. Harry still had a hard time believing Nymphadora Tonks could have died when she was so full of life, young, funny and just had a son.
He would need to discuss this with Teddy.
Harry sighed again and put the file aside. He already knew every personal information he needed about Teddy.
