CH21: Truth
"Thea we have to tell them now. They'll go to Hogwarts after the summer," Ares stated.
It was early March and the couple stood in the kitchen staring through a window at the back yard as their eleven year olds played with their two and a half year old.
"I know…I just…I'm afraid what they'll say. They were so scared last time they may blow up at us this time," Athena stated.
"It has to be done. We agreed Thea," Ares stated.
"I know," she sighed.
He smiled as he left the kitchen and he went to call the kids in.
"What's up dad?" Brad asked as they ran over holding Jason's hands.
"Jason you go on into the kitchen mama has a snack for you. Brad and Em go to the living room and wait for us," Ares stated.
"Are we in trouble?" Emily asked as they headed into the kitchen.
"No kids we just need to talk," Ares stated. The two eldest nodded leaving their brother in the kitchen with Athena.
Fifteen minutes later Emily and Brad saw their parents come into the living room and noticed that Athena looked incredibly upset about something.
"Mummy?" Emily asked as she moved to stand.
"No, no Emily stay there," Ares stated setting his sister in a chair across from the kids. Emily nodded slipping back onto the couch.
"Kids we have to explain some things to you so we want you to be quiet and listen okay. You can ask questions after," Ares stated. Both children nodded.
"Right we'll start with you Bradford," Ares nodded, "Eleven years ago you were an eight year old boy named Harry Potter. You were called the boy who lived because you had survived a Voldemort attack that killed your birth parents Lily and James Potter. Albus Dumbledore sent you to live with your aunt and uncle; the Dursleys. They were horrible to you so I took you and with your permission erased everything and turned you back into a baby and gave you a new start at life," Ares stated.
Harry/ Brad gawked at Ares in shock.
"You…I….you….why?" the boy asked.
"I wanted you to have a better life than what you had at the Dursleys. I watched you be abused for eight years Brad and it was more than I care to see. I knew James and Lily wouldn't have liked that," Ares answered.
Emily turned to Athena questioningly. Athena took a deep breathe and began her story.
"Your name was Hermione Jane. Your parents were Anna and Regulus Black some very good friends of mine. They died in an explosion when you were two months old and Albus Dumbledore sent you to live with muggles; Robert and Jane Granger. They never wanted you because you were magic but they were afraid and kept you. I had followed you in silence for eight years before I decided to just pop up on a street and chat with you. I took you and performed the same spell to make you my daughter and give you a fresh start. You see," she stated her blue eyes dark with tears as she smiled, "I have always loved you and I was your young godmother. I was only thirteen so father wouldn't let me have you. But I've always watched and loved you."
"We did what we thought was best," Ares stated, "and we've told you now. You know the truth so you can choose to continue to be our children or we can lift the spell and you can go back to Harry Potter and Hermione Black-Granger."
Of course neither twin would mention to reverse the spell would probably end in their death.
The time clicked by slowly as Emily and Brad or rather Hermione and Harry thought over what Athena and Ares had told them. Athena had left the room to check on Jason and fix supper while Ares stayed in the room reading the paper.
"Did you do the same thing to Jason?" the boy asked.
"No that was completely unforeseen. We helped a woman in trouble and she gave us her baby when she died," Ares answered not looking up from his paper.
"Do we look the same as when we were in our first childhood?" Brad asked.
"Yes in fact expect you do not have a scar on your head so you look like any other normal boy," Ares answered.
"Stay then," Brad stated rubbing at his head.
"I want to stay. You must have had a good reason for doing what you did and I have a good life here with you and Aunt Thea so I will keep you dad," the boy explained.
Ares put his paper down and held his arms to the boy as Brad ran straight for him hugging him tightly.
"I want to stay to. I couldn't ask for a better mother," Emily stated as she came over to hug her Uncle.
"You go tell her then," Ares winked.
Emily smiled and ran out of the living room and down the hall. She entered the kitchen and ran straight at the woman at the stove holding her waist tightly.
Athena's tears renewed as she bent down and hugged her daughter tightly.
"Why mummy crying?" Jason asked from his booster seat at the table.
"Because mummy is very happy Jason," Athena laughed with Emily.