Chapter 11
Seeing Harry, Jameson stepped aside to let Harry in. Harry stepped inside, and as soon as the door closed he blurted out " I don't want to meet them." Seeing their expressions pale, Harry took a deep breath and said "For 12 years, I have lived with the fact that you both were dead. Out of those 12 years, those 10 years, I was repeatedly told that you both died in a car accident because my father was a drunkard. Hagrid was the first person to tell me that you both gave up your lives to save mine and by the time I could at least accept the fact that you were dead because of me, I came here. Here I found a place of being myself yet everywhere I am also judged by your actions. I have always heard very good things about you. Till the point, I really thought that you were utterly good in everything. I know who you were during that time. I don't know who are you now? Do you want to be my parents just because I am your blood? I know what a responsibility looks like and I don't want to be that for you. So can you tell me honestly after hearing about me, why did you want to meet me at all? You have a life and a good one. Why do you want to add me to that when you don't even remember me?"
Layla and Jameson kept quiet throughout what Harry said. After Harry finished speaking, Layla spoke "You are right, we don't remember you. But are you a responsibility to us? Never. Harry you were always our only source of hope during a time when darkness beckoned us." Seeing Harry look doubtful, Jameson directed Harry towards the sofa. Making him sit down, Harry could see a silent conversation between his parents. Layla closed her eyes and silently shook her head. She sat down beside Harry and just held her hand. Jameson sat down on the other side of Harry and looked at Layla for silent confirmation. She nodded her head. During that time, Harry could just silently look at one person from another with confusion in his mind.
Jameson took a deep breath and started "Harry your mother and I ended up in different places. Both of these places had a darkness that was enough to lose hope in one's goodness. I ended up meeting some good people in that place where there was always a struggle to maintain hope even at times of great darkness. I was fortunate to meet such good people. Your mom did not have such luck in the place where she ended up in." Hearing Harry's gasp Layla immediately decided to forego her discomfort and continue the story. Jameson looked at Layla for confirmation and she nodded. Seeing Harry's fear in his eyes, she squeezed his hands gently and continued the story "I was fine Harry. Nothing bad happened to me per se. In fact you could say that I was taken extra care of. Yet during that time, I didn't realize why I was given this much attention until it was too late." Layla could still remember his face as he said she was special. She continued still lost in the memories "the person who took care of me taught me everything he knew and more. I had already begin to show manifestation of power and the training I underwent helped to better harness it. I didn't understand how the people I was with knew this training and I didn't question it. I didn't question anything until I was sent on my first assignment." Looking at Harry innocent eyes, Layla knew she could not say what her assignment was. Thinking about her even now bought bile up her throat. She said "the night before the assignment, you came in my dreams." Seeing Harry furrow appear in her brows, she smoothed it out with a smile on her lips seeing how it was similar to another person she loves, she continues "you were just a baby and you were lying in your crib. It was the darkness of the night and I seemed to wake up in the bedroom. In that dream , I knew that I had to be somewhere and I ended up in your room. It was filled with toys and your crib. I looked over the crib and there you were awake and playing with a wolf toy. You looked at me and just giggled. And in that moment I knew that I would go to any extent to protect you. And I woke up. That's when I knew that I couldn't carry out my assignment. My partner in that assignment I don't know how supported my decision. Even today she says that she saw something in me that she knew couldn't break me. Unfortunately the person who had treated me like a daughter came to find out about this, I don't know how. I got my punishment but then always seeing that dream in the night made every punishment handed out to me worth suffering. Until one day, I met your father."
Feeling Harry's hand squeeze hers, she looked at him and could see tears glistening his eyes. She wiped away his tears and said "Don't cry Harry. You don't know how important to us you were when there was darkness around us, your face your smile was the only thing that kept us going." Jameson continued "Before I even met your mother, I remembered you. I tried to find you with the help of my friends but there was no photos, no record of anything. I couldn't even remember my name but I always remember your face Harry." Layla seeing Harry downcast and guilty face said "Harry don't look so sad and guilty. What you have demanded us is your right and you have asked the right questions also. You have always heard of us but never knew us. We have always dreamt of you but we don't remember who we were. These 12 years has bought a lot of changes in us, depending on whether it is good or bad. We would like to get to know you Harry and we would like you to know us. About our family, you are already a part of our family and they will understand when you say you need the time to adjust. We will never demand anything of you Harry that you are not comfortable in giving. In the end it is your choice whether you want to meet them or not and we will respect it."
Harry hugged both of them tightly and they hugged him back. All three of them knew that this is a new beginning for all of them. Breaking the hug Harry said "this is all a lot right now. I want to know who you are now before I meet the rest of them. I just don't want to meet them right now." Both Jameson and Layla agreed with this decision. Harry then looked at his clothes and his face flushed. He still had his Quidditch clothes and he hadn't even taken a shower before coming here. Seeing his face flush on the state of the clothes, Jameson chuckled and said "you are not better than me. Your mom still pesters on leaving my shoes in the house." Layla fake glared at him and said " Of course I pester you. You jog in such muddy places by the time you come inside the house you track muddy prints all over the floor. Do you know how difficult it is to remove dried muddy prints from the floor?" Jameson leaned towards Harry and fake whispered "Not as difficult as removing a cold drink stain from the ceiling when your mother opens the bottle without waiting for a couple of seconds for the bottle's bubbles to cool down." Harry looked at his Mom in amazement and asked "How did you get soda stain up in the ceiling?" And now it was his mother's turn to blush. Jameson laughed and Harry smiled knowing that he had already starting accepting them as his parents.
Deep below the rooms where Harry and his parents were talking and laughing, a red haired girl walked towards the door as if in a trance and hissed in a language known only to a few. The door which had two locks in the shape of snakes opened revealing a large room with water on each side and a pathway in the middle. The girl her eyes completely black with no hint of irises smiles as his plan has started to emerge beautifully.
Hi, Sorry for posting the story so late but RL and my own writing block got in the way. Regarding the story, I might end up shifting the story to AO3, so it is still not a fixed decision but I might start posting the chapters in one website and which website is more likely is still a decision I have to make. So I hope you like the story and do comment.