Title: An interesting development

Author: enchanted nightingale

Beta Reader: pussycatadamah

Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I merely use them in my plot for fun.

Chapter 14

Harry tried not to draw attention to himself, or Rodolphus. The wizard had insisted on taking him home and Harry let Rodolphus walk him up to the garden door. What neither of them had expected to see was James waiting there, with Sirius and Remus at his sides. And they all looked furious. It made the teen halt and stare.

"Harry," the teen's father said. "Get in the house. Now!"

The teen turned to look at Rodolphus who looked like he understood what was going on.

"Go on," the older wizard told his young lover. Harry opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to argue back, but a small nudge and a soft look from Rodolphus towards his house made the teen snap his mouth shut. He stole a glance at his father and uncles and then back at Rodolphus, coming to the same conclusion as the older wizard. His father and Sirius and Remus had somehow found out. They knew about him and Rodolphus and they were furious. There was no other explanation.

"Harry," Sirius spoke up this time and he sounded furious, which was a novelty for the green eyed youth.

"Straight to your room and wait there," James added in a voice that brooked no argument. It was not a tone the man used often but when he did Harry knew not to take his father lightly.

The seventeen year old gave one last look at Rodolphus. He briefly debated putting up a fight, refusing, generally disagreeing, but the situation was already bad and he refrained. He would just need to trust Rodolphus to be able to talk his way out of this and that the men in his family had enough sense not to attack the man in a more than verbal way. A duel would solve nothing and just make a scandal of this. Harry ran inside the house not looking back for if he did he was bound to do something stupid. For now, all Harry could do was wait for his father to chew him out.

Rodolphus kept his face impassive and waited till Harry was inside the house. The other men had the same idea it seemed because the moment Harry was not there James Potter snapped his wand and a curse was sent Rodolphus' way. The wizard dodged but the next move Potter did was walk up to him and punch him. That Rodolphus did not dodge. He could have ducked, but he felt he should let Harry's father do that much. He regretted it when James got ready for a second punch but this time the werewolf stopped him.

"James!" he called out. "That's enough!"

"That bastard laid a hand on my son! My Harry!" James yelled. He made to shake the werewolf off but Remus would not budge.

"James," Sirius spoke up, wand trained to follow Rodolphus. "Let the bastard speak. I want to know why he put his filthy hands on our boy."

"I don't need to hear him talk!" James raged. "He took advantage of my boy! He's old enough to be his father! And he played the good healer all year around when Merlin knows what he was doing with him!"

Rodolphus felt his temper rise. "Careful Potter. There are events you have no idea about."

"It seems so since I had you in my home! I let you near my son!" this time he managed to shake Remus off but Rodolphus had the good sense to duck this time.

Remus and Sirius broke them apart again, holding James back and throwing glares Rodolphus' way. The Lestrange was busy wiping the blood away from his mouth. There was a look of triumph on James face at that but it disappeared, swallowed by anger again.

"I don't want to see you around my family again," James hissed at the man. "Or I swear I will kill you."

Rodolphus snorted. "You are wrong Potter," he said.

"You kissed my son!"

The former Slytherin wisely kept his mouth shut about all the other things he had done to the teen. James Potter hardly needed any more ammunition to curse or punch him.

"I was not using Harry," Rodolphus swore this. "We are dating Potter!"

Rage was his answer. "Dating? My son is seventeen!"

"An adult," Rodolphus told him.

"He's still a child! You are in your forties damn it! Couldn't you keep your perverted hands to yourself?"

"Potter, I never did anything Harry did not ask me to do."

Apparently it was the wrong thing to say. This time Remus had been prepared and kept a tight hold on James but Sirius had his hands free and one of his fists connected with Rodolphus' stomach. This time Lestrange retaliated with a well placed curse against Sirius who was defended by James' shield.

"Damn it! James! Sirius!" Remus yelled at his two friends. Inwardly he wanted to introduce Rodolphus Lestrange to his more savage side but the consequences would be grave.

Rodolphus sensing things were going to get well out of hand shot one last look at the men and turned on his heel, Apparating away.

James cursed rather loudly and the werewolf finally released his best friend.

"Calm down," Remus told him. "I know it's the last thing you need to hear…"

"Ha!" James yelled. "He… that Death Eater had his filthy hands on Harry!" James held his head. From all his anger he felt a pounding head ache come on. They all felt it. It had been Remus, the more level headed that had kept Sirius and James from confronting the pair at the restaurant and instead waited until Harry came home. And right now James had to talk to his son. Harry was bound to have the answers he needed.

"James?" Sirius asked. "Are you okay?"

"Fine… just… I need to talk to Harry."

"Do you need us?"

"No," James insisted. "I will talk to him alone."

"We will be waiting in the kitchen," Remus decided, already making plans on how to tell the news to Lily.

James gave a short nod towards his two friends and headed back to the house.

Harry was pacing in his room. His fists were held tight. His heart was hammering in his chest. It was all so wrong! He had wanted… No, needed more time with Rodolphus. He was just getting to know the man that had burrowed deep in his heart and was likely going to stay there for a long time. He had needed the time to explore their relationship, to experience more from this thing between the two of them. The teen sighed. He itched to go out, see what was happening between his father and his lover. Merlin, he loved using that word even though he and Rodolphus had not done all that much to be considered true lovers just yet.

"I want that," Harry whispered to himself. He wanted Rodolphus at his side.

But now that dream seemed too far away. The green eyed teen sat heavily on his bed, closing his eyes as he started feeling despair.

Lily was clever. Her parents used to say that she was too clever for her own good. Her husband and his band of merry marauders also had that thought every time she caught them red handed doing mischief. She had a sixth sense for it. Still, this time it was the commotion that alerted her that something was going on. She left the study she had been doing work in and found Sirius and Remus in her kitchen, both looking grave and worried.

"What are you doing here? I thought you and James had plans."

The Werewolf and the Dog shared a significant look.

"What is going on? Where's James?" the red haired witch demanded. "Did you do something stupid?"

"Define stupid?" Sirius asked, looking and sounding tired.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Start talking."

"It's about Harry…" Remus tailed off.

Climbing the stairs to his son's room was something James had done so many times in the past that he did this without noticing. He blinked and he was there, figuratively. Just outside the door James halted. His mind was all jumbled up. Thoughts and emotions mixing together and the mental picture of his son in the arms of a dangerous man. James did not care if Harry dated boys or girls, but this… It was the only time James disapproved of anything his son did. Now, now he wanted to lock him up and throw away the key. What on earth had he been thinking? There were tons of men out there why did it have to be that man? Contrary to what he had told Lestrange he did not believe that the wizard had done anything to addle his son's mind, he had taught Harry better. It was precisely that reason why he had such a difficult time understanding why his son was with that man in any way and capacity.

He stood in front of Harry's door when he heard motion behind him. He turned.

"Lily," he sighed, a tired look on his face.

"Remus and Sirius told me," the witch said. Then she knocked on her son's door. "We need to talk, all of us." James nodded.

Rodolphus arrived at his house a mess. He was more worried about Harry than he was about the bleeding cuts on his face. All he wanted was to patch himself up and do something to alleviate his worry. He had to know what was going on with the green eyed youth that stole his heart. He was not granted that reprieve. His younger brother was in the living room and upon seeing him he gasped in shock.

"Rodolphus!"

"What are you doing here?" the older sibling demanded.

"I came to bring you news but… what in Mordred's name happened to your face?"

"This? A small disagreement."

Rabastan narrowed his eyes. "Will you be straight with me for once? What's going on? You have changed lately. So much that I don't know what to do?"

"I don't need your whining right now," Rodolphus told him.

His brother sighed and sagged. "Why can't you understand that I worry about you? If you have someone I want to know so I can be happy for you. If you are in trouble I want to offer whatever help I can. I had to watch our parents and other relatives saddle you with Bellatrix. That woman ruined your life. The Dark Lord ruined it further and our aunts tried to rule your life for you after Bellatrix became history. I'm your brother, not your enemy, not some guy who's suspicious of you."

"You got emotional after your marriage."

"Considering I'm about to make you an uncle…"

Rodolphus blinked. "I see," he muttered. He offered a genuine smile to his brother. "Congratulations then. You deserve happiness. I'm certain you will make a good father."

"Thank you. I don't know about being a good father, I am mostly terrified." Rabastan told him. "Now sit down here," he pointed at the spot on the sofa next to him that was vacant. Rodolphus moved to fill it and Rabastan took his wand out and carefully started mending the cuts he found. He used 'Episkey a couple of times and a 'Scourgify to take care of some of the mess in his siblings clothes.

"Thank you," Rodolphus told him.

"I am a pretty good listener," Rabastan commented.

Rodolphus eyed his brother. "There was someone," he said after a while.

"Was?"

"Is… Was… I have no idea what's going to happen now," Rodolphus admitted after a tired sigh.

"Is this connected with the way you came home looking a right mess?"

Rodolphus offered a nod.

"Who did that to you?"

"James Potter and Sirius Black."

"Those hooligans," Rabastan hissed. "You ought to report them! I don't care if…"

"Rabastan," Rodolphus put a hand on his brother's arm. "They were partially right to get angry with me."

"How can you say that?"

"I… the 'someone' I was talking about is Harry Potter, their son and godson."

Rabastan's jaw dropped.

Harry heard the knock on his door and however reluctantly beckoned his mother and father inside. They entered reluctantly and Harry remained seated.

"Harry, son," James said. "I…Why?"

"Why what?" Harry asked in a low voice.

"Why him, why lie to us, why sneak around, why everything," James said.

"I had no idea you and Rodolphus were this close," Lily said. "When did it happen?"

Harry thought back to the summer, the agreement between him and Rodolphus, all the time they spent together.

"Harry," Lily urged her son.

"I will tell you," Harry said. "But you won't like this."

James gritted his teeth, fearing the worst deep down. Then his son started talking about the experimental potions and prank items the Twins made, about Harry's not wanting to go to a ball with his parents, about that time at summer when he had been sick but not really, about Rodolphus knowing Harry not being sick. Then the teen said about the plan and agreement he made with Rodolphus, how he faked being ill. Lily felt both relieved and angry at the web of lies her son and a man she had trusted with her son's help had spun. James had mixed feeling, both pride and hurt at this.

"I don't know when, or how but… I like Rodolphus. He's great. He has a sense of humour…" At James' snort he rolled his eyes. "Yes, he can be mean, sarcastic and cynical but not with me, not for long. We just fit together," Harry said.

"Have you…"

"We've only been on six dates," Harry said. "And nothing happened before I turned seventeen."

"And now?" James demanded, voice dark.

"Kisses," Harry lied. He was not about to admit everything to his parents. At Lily's hard look he did not waver one bit. Show no fear. It applied to dragons and mothers alike. They could sniff out a lie better than a Niffler could find gold.

James' face soured at that admittance but Lily merely accepted it with a nod. There were more questions for Harry. Lily had asked her son why the charade with his illness. She was angry, that much was obvious, angry and hurt that her son lied and deceived to get his way and her feeling had stayed there. She was not as hung up as James, her husband was, about Harry and Rodolphus dating and cared more about dishonesty.

"I know I should apologize for deceiving you," Harry told her. "But I don't regret it. I'm only sorry I hurt you," the teen told his mother.

Their talk stretched late into the night and Harry was mentally exhausted by the time he finally went to sleep. Lily and James instead of retiring to bed headed for the kitchen where Remus and Sirius were still waiting.

"How did it go?" Sirius asked.

"Is that Firewhisky?" Lily asked.

Sirius nodded and she stole his glass (she had banned them from drinking straight from any bottle). The Black wizard let her as she probably needed it more.

"James?" Remus asked his best friend.

"I'm not sure whether to be proud my son is that darn smart or despair him being so devious."

Sirius and Remus blinked. James then explained the plan Harry had cooked up and got Lestrange to agree to.

"And he couldn't just say 'no' to his aunt?" Remus muttered. "He needed a teenager as an accomplice?"

"Apparently yes," Lily said.

"Are you feeling fine?" James asked his wife. He had pulled her into his arms for a hug after they had left Harry's room but it had been brief.

"Just thinking about grounding your son until he's fifty," the witch said.

"My son?"

Lily nodded. "It was all you up there, the deviousness, the mischief and you were worried just because he was sorted into Slytherin."

"If anything he's far better at it that I am," James sullenly muttered.

"So, neither of you are angry?" Remus breathed a sigh of relief.

"Really?" Sirius snuck a peek at James.

"It's not really as if I can put down and ground him for dating!"

"But for the lying he will be punished," Lily stated. "I had been worried sick! I went to his office; I asked about Harry's health…And Rodolphus knew it!"

"You did?" James asked and at her glare he cowered a bit. "Of course you did."

"And you chose to spy on him," the witch said. "Which I do not agree by the way," she added. It was the Marauders' turn to cower before James' wife. All three of them kept their eyes open, waiting for whether she would whip out her wand and give them bunny ears of, worse, bunny tails (she preferred cursing them with cute and fluffy body parts).

"We were right though," James told her.

"It's the principle of it! Would you like it if your parents followed us on our date?" Lily demanded.

Here James shuddered. "Point taken," the stag animagus said. "But I was just worried."

"Sirius told me that you spoke with Harry prior to tonight. He said he was not ready for us to know," Lily pointed out.

James had the grace to blush at the accusation and he avoided the looks Sirius and Remus gave him. While both his best friends had supported him and spied on Harry along with him they had both voiced their objections to this.

"What are you going to do though?" Sirius asked. The anger had faded now and he could think somewhat rationally. "While I never liked Lestrange … Shut up Moony," he told the Werewolf who choked at the understatement of not liking the man, "But he must be serious about our boy."

"That's what's keeping me from tracking him down and castrating him," Lily responded.

The wizards adjusted themselves in their seats a bit. They had vivid memories of the red headed witch using a similar curse to an annoying guy from Ravenclaw during their Hogwarts years and well before she and James started dating.

"Now is not the time though," Lily said. She eyed Sirius. "Don't you have work tomorrow?"

"Today you mean," the dog animagus said. "I do. Come on old wolf, let's get moving." Remus stood as well.

James walked them to the door. When he returned Lily was still sitting where he had left her. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she sighed, leaning into his touch.

"What's the verdict boss?" he teased his wife.

"In the morning," Lily replied.

"You're right. Come on, let's get to bed.

End of chapter.