The Affliction of War
Please take note of the Authors note at the end of the chapter as I require your opinions. Please enjoy the chapter.
Chapter Twenty One
Draco, true to his word, came to see how Teddy was getting on soon after lunch; he had been escorted into the house by Kingsley just as Harry had been the night before so that he could get through the wards. Ron and Hermione were not on the same good terms with Draco as Harry was but there wasn't exactly any where for them to go to avoid him. Neither Ron nor Hermione had been able to forgive the childhood rivalry, it was different for Harry because of the life bond their families now shared and he had decided that after almost dying there were bigger things to worry about.
When the healer arrived with the Minister for magic, Teddy had been sitting on the floor in the living room with Rose, the thirteen month old little girl laughing and clapping as Teddy changed his hair different colours for her. The adults, trying to act as such and not devolve into squabbling adolescents, gathered in the living room to talk, Kingsley remaining with them for the moment as he needed to talk to Harry.
"How is he this morning?" Draco asked, casting a glance over to Teddy, who had moved on to playing with Rose's exposed toes, tickling them so that the little girl was laughing hysterically. The five of them taking their seats in the living room so that they could keep an eye on the two children as they played.
Ron and Hermione were in a single armchair together, decidedly not looking in Draco's direction, having decided that they were not going to acknowledge the fact that he was there. Harry had tried to talk to them about their prejudice against him some time ago, however, the conversation had ended in an argument and Harry had not broached the subject again, thinking that it wasn't worth the hassle. If Ron and Hermione wanted to hate Draco then there wasn't anything that Harry could do about it.
"He was awake with nightmares a lot during the night," Harry told Draco quietly, not wanting to disturb the game that his Godson was playing with his Goddaughter, "he seems better this morning, we made pancakes together and he seemed happy even."
"That's good," Draco said with a small smile as he looked fondly on his cousin. He really did like the boy, if he didn't then he wouldn't have taken such an interest in him as he was growing up. Teddy was family, though his father wouldn't like to think so still; however, with Lucius locked up in Azkaban, Draco didn't care what his father thought. "I take it that you will become his guardian now?"
"I have already made the arrangements," Kingsley said before Harry could confirm this one way or another. "I thought that it might be the case and thought I would help bypass some of the red tape for you. I believe that that young man has been through enough without the hassle of ending up an orphanage while the paperwork is put in order."
"Thank you," Harry said gratefully. He truly didn't know what he would have done if Teddy had been taken away from him, he never wanted to let the young boy out of his sight again; he had a lot of time to make up for after being such a workaholic over the past few years that he had hardly seen him much at all.
"That was only one of the things I needed to discuss with you," Kingsley said, knowing that the next subject of discussion would not be as pleasant as knowing that Teddy would be able to stay with Harry. "I take it that Harry has updated you on everything that has been going on?" Kingsley asked, glancing over to Ron and Hermione, who nodded in confirmation.
"I told them this morning," Harry said, "everything," he added knowing that this was more or less the truth, he had told them all the important parts at least and anything else they either didn't need to know or it was too dangerous for them too. The last thing he wanted was for them to be targeted and put in danger because he had told them too much.
"That makes this a lot easier," Kingsley said with a small sigh. "I have made the arrangements for the funeral of Neville Longbottom to take place tomorrow, his name will also be added to the memorial at Hogwarts. I believe his bravery deserves to be memorialised there, it seemed wrong that he was not listed when he fought so bravely."
"Thank you," Harry said, knowing that this would have made Neville happy. He also knew that Neville's parents would have been so proud of their son if they had been sane enough to know him. "Kingsley, I know it might take a lot, if it's even possible, but could his parents be there? Draco, maybe you could pull a few strings…"
"I will do anything I can," Draco said at once, knowing that he wouldn't deny Harry such a simple request. Neither Frank nor Alice were in much of a state to go anywhere and it was almost certainly not worth the effort it would take to get them there but Draco could understand why Harry wanted this and he would do everything in his power to see that it was done.
"We'll be there," Hermione said, knowing that neither herself nor her husband could miss this, Neville had been their friend and his death still didn't seem real to them. She was hoping that by going to the funeral that she could come to terms with the fact that he was gone.
"I am going to have to make sure that those meant to be in safe houses are protected. A lot of Auror's are going to have to be there," Kingsley mused, wondering just how many he could spare, though he knew that a lot of the Auror's would want to be there themselves anyway. Neville had once been an Auror, even though he hadn't lasted more than a few years, he had still been a friend to many of them.
"Will you tell Steve and the others, just in case they want to come and pay their respects?" Harry requested, thinking that they would want to at least have the option of going. He knew that the Avenger's hadn't known Neville much at all but he still wanted them to have the choice, he didn't have the right to remove that choice from them. Harry wasn't entirely sure that he was ready to actually see Steve just yet but he knew that he wanted to have him there regardless; he missed his boyfriend and he knew that he needed to apologise to him. He hadn't exactly treated him very fairly when he had stormed out.
"I will make sure that the message gets to them," Kingsley said with a nod of his head, secretly rather pleased that Harry had thought to ask for the Avengers to be told about the funeral. He thought that it was a wonderful idea that they would be able to come and say goodbye and it also meant that Harry wanted to see Steve. The Minister for magic was very pro this relationship, it was exactly what Harry needed.
"I'll make the arrangements at St Mungo's to make sure Longbottom's parents are able to be there too so you don't have to worry about that," Draco said, placing a hand on Harry's knee as a show of comfort to him. It was clear that Harry was over thinking everything in the way that he tended to do and would need their support.
Neither Ron nor Hermione missed this show of affection from Draco and the two of them shared a rather concerned look with one another. They didn't think that Draco deserved a man as good as Harry, not after everything he had done in his life. When the two had slept together Hermione had been the first one to step in and help Harry see reason, Harry and Draco were much better as a platonic friendship in her mind. She didn't even like that he was Harry's soul healer, but there was nothing she could do about that.
"Oh and before I forget," Kingsley said, realising that this might not have been the best time for this but he didn't know when else was going to be a better time. "You had a delivery at your office." These deliveries had been happening for the past month or so, a few to Harry's residence and a few to his office at the Ministry.
The fact that these deliveries had managed to get through all of the protective wards and enchantments meant they were not meant to harm Harry; however, the devotion of whomever was sending them was on a creepy level. Whoever it was knew what Harry liked and it was almost as if they were trying to woo him.
"I did, again?" Harry asked with confusion. The few gifts and bouquets of flowers that he had been receiving for the past few months had been peculiar, there was never a note or any form of explanation as to who they were from but Harry had an inkling that they were all from the same person because they all had the same theme to them, lillies. Having a few obsessional fans was all par for the course really but Harry had truly thought that, whoever this person was, they would have given up by now. He had never been overly concerned about it, it wasn't as if it was doing any harm.
"Yes, shall I bring it here or dispose of it?" Kingsley asked; he was aware of the issues that Harry had been having with his admirers. Kingsley had very little sympathy for this aspect of Harry's life as he believed that was almost entirely Harry's own doing but it was something that Harry didn't need to deal with right now.
The Minister for Magic would do a lot for Harry, however, the young man's promiscuous behaviour was not something that he thought wise, this by product of that wasn't something that he could deal with. Not unless whomever was sending the items started to threaten Harry; it was something the famous wizard was going to have to handle on his own.
"I'll swing by the office and grab it when I collect my things," Harry said with a sigh, realising that now was as good a time as ever to talk to Kingsley about quitting his job. He didn't like to dwell too long on the fact he had fans, it wasn't something that he was entirely comfortable with and he really wasn't comfortable with the gifts that he kept being sent or the fact that they seemed to know exactly what he liked when it came to flowers and sweet treats.
"Collecting your things?" Kingsley asked with an intrigued look on his face. "Are you planning on leaving us, Harry?" This was a shock to the Minister, to Draco too; only Ron and Hermione had known that he was thinking of quitting his job, the other two looked utterly shocked. Draco and Kingsley knew just how much of a workaholic that Harry was, neither had thought that he would ever give up his job for anything.
"Yes," Harry said, sounding very sure of himself and he felt it too. "I think we can both agree that I am not going to be of any use as an Auror from now on. I'll happily consult from time to time but I think that my family needs to come first."
Harry had spent most of the previous night thinking it over, he knew that he was making the right choice with this. He didn't want to be in the line of fire anymore, he had three lives depending on him and a boyfriend who loved him. He didn't want to continue to put himself in danger and therefore put his family at risk.
"I think you deserve a quiet life," Kingsley agreed, smiling at Harry happily. He knew that it was time that Harry found a life for himself, it was long over due. It had been the whole point of sending him away to America, to show him that there was life outside of work. Of course it hadn't worked out exactly how Kingsley had thought but it had worked nonetheless. "I'll have that particular paperwork drawn up too and make a note of certain files that you could consult on but I believe that the majority of that could even be done in the comfort of your own home."
"That would be greatly appreciated," Harry said gratefully, thinking that it would be a lot easier, especially when he had the newborn twins to deal with, just to have his workload sent via owl to his home. It also meant that he would have more time to so spend with Steve. That was, if Steve still wanted to be with him. After the argument they had had following Teddy's rescue, he had walked out and just not come home; it worried Harry that Steve might not want him back after that.
-x
Preparing for Neville's funeral the next day was a silent affair. No one really said much to one another as they dressed in their smartest clothing, black dress robes for the boys and formal dresses for the girls and Teddy had even turned his hair black for the sombre occasion, though the nine year old was looking remarkably like Harry today as his eyes remained a brilliant shade of emerald green.
The mood was a sombre one as Harry took Teddy in his arms in a tight hug, preparing to summon the Knight bus for them so that they could travel safely to where Neville had requested that he be buried. Seeing as he had formerly worked as an Auror, it was a requirement that a last will and testament be placed on file as well as letters to those closest to you in case of your untimely death. Harry had wanted to apperate, which certainly would have been easier, however Draco had already said that he shouldn't be doing that, advice that he hadn't really listened to but he knew he had to because otherwise he was going to hurt his babies.
Neville had wanted to be buried on a hill top close to his family home; apparently there had been a tree there that he had played in as a child, building a tree house there, which he had used to escape his grandmother quite frequently. His Will had also requested that his parents join him there if he died first, wanting to be with them in death as he had never had the chance to be with them during his life.
Ron and Hermione were running a little behind as Rose had spilt juice all down her front and needed to be changed so Harry had taken Teddy and gone ahead of the others, wanting to make sure that everything was running smoothly. Harry had to admit that the place that Neville had chosen to be buried was stunningly beautiful, he could imagine just how beautiful the sunset would be from up here. It was the perfect resting place for Neville, who had always been so calm and together.
Half a dozen silver chairs had been laid out on the grass, the sun making them shine brightly. A table had been positioned beneath the tree and from memory, Harry knew that this would be where Neville's body would be placed. It was painful to think that the last funeral he had attended had been Dumbledore's.
It was another thing that Harry couldn't help but feel guilty about; out of all the people who had died, usually because of him, he had never attended their funerals. Not even Remus' nor Tonks'; he had also been suspiciously absent from Fred's too, all because he couldn't face it. He didn't even want to be here, though he knew that he had owed it to Neville; after all, his friend had died saving Teddy's life. It was one thing that Harry just never felt brave enough to face, the funerals of those that he loved.
He felt entirely numb as he moved through the crowds of people, greeting those that greeted him; though he was paying very little attention to whom he was speaking to because he knew that if he did, then he was going to break down and cry, something he couldn't do, not while Teddy clung to him as tightly as he was. It wasn't until Harry caught a flash of blue hair that he started paying any attention to anything that was going on around him. Teddy was next to him and hadn't left his side since they arrived and there was only one other person with blue hair that he knew of and it made his heart beat a little faster at the thought.
Sure enough, at the very back of the congregation of witches and wizards that had gathered to pay their respects to Neville, stood not only Steve, Clint and Natasha but also Tony and Bruce, who had clearly flown all the way to England just for this. Harry caught his boyfriend's eyes and smiled at him, grateful for the fact that he was there; Steve smiled back kindly, giving a small wave with his hand but making no move to come towards him.
It was rather sweet to see them all standing there in a line, none of them really knowing what to do with themselves and looking a little lost, none of them in their comfort zone. All the men were in black suits with black shirts and ties. Natasha was in a well tailored black dress and heels that showed off her curves beautifully, and none of them looked at all out of place here, even though they were dressed in muggle attire. It looked like they were just meant to be there. Though it was rather amusing to realise that Clint had apparently refused to be completely unarmed and had his bow and arrows attached to his back.
"I thought that you would appreciate them being here," a voice said in his ear and Harry turned to see Kingsley stood just behind him. The large black man looked very sombre today, lacking his usually brightly coloured robes, he was wearing a dark navy blue as a sign of respect.
"Yes, thank you," Harry said, unable to believe that the Minister had been so considerate of his feelings. He had asked for the Avengers to be told but he was amazed that they had been able to attend. He hadn't expected for the small group of extraordinary muggles to have been permitted to attend the wizarding funeral seeing as it was very much a wizarding event. He wasn't even sure that it was safe for Tony to be here considering what had happened the last time he had been around magic.
"It was actually Draco's suggestion," Kingsley said with a small smile. "If I didn't know the history between the two of you then I would think that he was sweet on you." The Minister hadn't been sure that having the muggles here was a good idea; however, the youngest Malfoy had been rather insistent that it would be what Harry would want and after much debate, Kingsley had agreed.
"Draco?" Harry questioned with amusement. Despite the fact that they had slept together the once there was nothing like that between them. "I highly doubt it, though it was considerate of both of you. Tony isn't going to be affected by the magic is he? The last time anyone used magic close to him he almost died."
"We have taken the proper precautions for him, they are to all remain where they are, I was concerned that you might not have fully forgiven Mr Rogers," Kingsley said, watching Harry very carefully for a reaction. There was a wall between them and the rest of the guests so that any magic would not have any affect on Tony, it wouldn't stop them if they wanted to approach the wizards but Kingsley hadn't told them that.
"I think I forgave him about a minute after I left," Harry said with a sigh. He glanced back over to where Steve and the others were standing and he knew that he had to go and see him, though he knew that wasn't the only thing he wanted to do. Kingsley gave Harry a small smile as the Minister's attention was attracted by someone else calling his name and he went to see where he was needed.
"Ron," Harry called, spotting that his best friends had now arrived too, and gesturing him and Hermione over towards him. "Come, I want you to meet someone," he said, thinking that it was high time that his two best friends met his boyfriend; after al,l Steve was hugely important to him and therefore he needed to meet the other people that Harry knew he wouldn't be able to live without.
Hermione, carrying Rose on her hip, and Ron followed Harry over to where the five strangers were stood. They were all the subject of much speculation with the other guests, no one else knowing who they were or why they were there. Both Ron and Hermione looked a little sceptical about the five strangers but trusting Harry they made their way over.
"What are you guys doing all the way over here?" Harry asked as he reached the Avengers, feeling a little nervous all of a sudden. Steve was stood between Clint and Tony, and looked just as nervous when he turned to look at Harry. After the argument they had had neither of them knew what to say to the other.
"Oh, hi," Steve said as if he hadn't really noticed Harry before at all, he had sounded far too surprised to see him, and it made Harry quite sure that the supersoldier had been perfectly aware of exactly when he had arrived and where he was the whole time that he had been there. Harry was kind of touched that Steve was making the effort to allow him to time to come talk in his own time rather than force himself on him. Harry wasn't sure why he was so surprised, Steve had always been very considerate of his feelings.
"It's good to see you, but we'll let you talk," Bruce said, herding Tony, Clint and Natasha a short distance away from Steve and Harry, knowing that the two of them needed a moment. "Come and find us later," he added, as Teddy gave Clint a rather enthusiastic wave, which left Clint rather confused; he wasn't sure why the small boy was doing that.
"I missed you," Steve blurted out before he could stop himself, looking a little flustered as though he hadn't expected to say that. He had seen Harry the moment he had arrived with Teddy hanging on one arm. He had only just managed to restrain himself, knowing that he needed to let Harry come to him. Steve had remained patient until he had seen that Harry was on his way over and he had just wanted to hold him in his arms again.
"Teddy, why don't you go and see Clint," Harry suggested, thinking that it would be simpler if the little nine year old wasn't here for this particular conversation. Also it looked like he really wanted to go and see the Avenger that had been the one to rescue him. Teddy beamed at this idea, running off towards the blue haired man as Ron and Hermione reached them.
"Harry…" Steve went to say, glancing at the other two people that had just joined them somewhat warily. He really needed to talk to his boyfriend alone, without the audience, there was so much he wanted to say but he just didn't know where to start and having these two standing looking at him curiously wasn't helping matters.
"Steve, these are my friends, Ron, Hermione and their daughter Rose. Guys, this is Steve, my boyfriend," Harry introduced, leaning into Steve and smiling at being so close to him again. He didn't miss how the super soldier put an arm around him instantly, with no hesitation, holding on to him rather tightly. It felt good.
"It's nice to meet you," Steve said with a smile, offering his free hand out for Ron to shake; the redhead took it, though he looked a little uncertain at doing so. Ron hadn't missed how possessive Steve had become of Harry the instant he had come close. He wasn't convinced that an over protective and possessive boyfriend was what Harry needed. He had his many fans and admirers for that.
"Seriously, Harry, you have a thing for blonds," Ron said with a laugh, trying to make light of the situation, as he looked Steve up and down, never having seen such a large man that was fully human. He wasn't sure that he entirely liked this man, however, he was willing to give him a chance if Harry was introducing him as a boyfriend to them. Aside from Draco, neither Ron nor Hermione had ever met any of the other men in Harry's life.
"Did you study at the Salem Institute, the American wizarding school?" Hermione asked, wanting to change the subject before Steve asked difficult questions about what Ron had said. She knew her husband meant well but sometimes, or in fact most of the time, he had a tendency to put his foot in his mouth and say the wrong thing.
"The Salem Institute?" Steve asked, looking confused, "No, I studied at a regular school in Brooklyn." He had no idea what the place was that the bushy haired woman had mentioned but he knew it was nowhere near where he had grown up. It had given him a warm feeling in his stomach when Steve had realised that Harry was taking the opportunity to introduce him to his friends, something that Steve considered a very positive step in their relationship despite the argument they had had and the two nights they had spent apart.
"Guys, he's a muggle," Harry said with a small smile. He wanted his friends to know Steve well, after all he saw himself spending the rest of his life with Steve, he wanted for those closest to him to know each other.
"He can't be, not if you're pregnant," Hermione blurted out before she really had a chance to think about it. She regretted it the moment she had spoken, not wanting to make things complicated for Harry, especially not when he seemed to happy. Harry had known that Hermione was bound to have the same reaction as Draco and he couldn't help but laugh a little.
"I've been over that with Draco, he's not just a regular muggle, he's special," Harry said, looking up at his boyfriend with an adoring expression on his face, which Ron and Hermione took as their cue to leave.
"We'll leave you to it," Ron said, putting his arm around his wife and daughter, guiding them away from the clearly loved up couple. There was only a matter of minutes before the funeral started and it was clear that Harry and Steve needed those few minutes to talk or use their tongues on another way that was much more pleasurable, but that Ron definitely didn't need to witness.
"We'll see you afterwards," Hermione said quickly before Ron could drag her away, giving Steve and Harry a small nod, and allowing her husband to usher her away, over towards the front of the seats. She already had several questions that she wanted to ask; however, there would be plenty of time for that later. She very much doubted that this was the last time that she would meet Steve.
"I missed you too," Harry said, wanting to make it clear to his boyfriend that it hadn't been a one way street. The only way he had managed to sleep at all the two nights that they had spent apart was because Teddy had crawled into bed with him and kept him company. Harry felt as if he never wanted to be parted from Steve again.
"You should have come to me," Steve said, turning so that he and Harry were now face to face. He had hated being away from Harry, their unborn children too, not when every ounce of him was screaming at him to be close to him and protect him. he had jumped at the chance to come to the funeral today just for the chance to see Harry again and make things right between them.
"I wanted to," Harry said truthfully, wanting it clear that it had taken a lot for him to stay away, "I just needed some time. I was going to come and see you tonight if you hadn't come today," he explained.
"And you've forgiven me for keeping you out of that fight?" Steve asked, wanting to clear the air between them completely. Tony couldn't come any further into the funeral and the others had agreed to stay with him; however, Steve wanted to sit beside Harry and comfort him. He felt as if it was his place to do so.
"I never really had to forgive you, Steve," Harry admitted, feeling a little sheepish about this. He knew that he had over reacted, that he had reacted without thinking it through, blaming Steve when really it was himself that he had been angry at. "I knew you did it to keep me safe. I was never really angry at you for that, just angry that Neville had to die and I couldn't do anything about it."
"I just wanted to protect you," Steve told him, wanting to be clear on that, "you and the babies. I didn't want to see anyone hurt but I couldn't let you go and…" Steve never got a chance to finish his sentence as Harry's lips found his, kissing him for all he was worth.
"Steve, it's okay," Harry said, feeling a little breathless and lightheaded from their kiss. "I understand why you did it; I would never have agreed to stay out of rescuing Teddy, I just couldn't see past getting him safe…" Harry said, glancing over to where the nine year old was talking a mile a minute to Clint who looked utterly confused. Natasha on the other hand looked far too amused at the whole thing. "It could have been me and the babies being buried today," Harry said, his voice trembling a little at the thought of that, that his children might have been killed before they had even had a chance to live.
"But you're fine," Steve said, pulling Harry into his arms, and holding him close; the words were to reassure himself as much as anything because the thought of losing Harry and their unborn children was enough to make him want to lash out and hurt someone. He didn't want to dwell on those dark thoughts for too long at all. "Let's go play our respects to Neville, show our thanks for helping to save Teddy."
"Yeah," Harry agreed, glancing over to see that the Minister was motioning to him that they were about to start. "First though I think we might have to rescue Clint, Teddy has taken him hostage," he added in amusement as the nine year old flung his arms around Hawkeye's waist and hugged him.
-x
Steve sat in the front row with Harry and Teddy for the duration of the funeral. The other Avenger's remained at the back where the wall that Kingsley had erected to keep the magic from Tony would shield them all and also so that Tony wouldn't have to stand on his own. Harry sat in the middle of his two favourite men and held hands with both of them the entire way through. He needed the support that it gave him to hold on to Steve and Teddy.
Saying goodbye to Neville was harder than Harry had thought it would be and it was a firm reminder of why he had never gone to the funeral's of any of the other people he had known that had died. However having Steve there with him helped massively, without him he would have been a blubbering wreck by the time that it was over; however, he remained strong. It was mainly for Teddy that he did this, he didn't want his Godson to see him completely break down.
"Can we just get out of here?" Harry asked in a whisper to Steve as people started getting up and talking to each other; he knew it was a bit rude to just get up and leave so quickly, but he wasn't sure how much more he could take. He hadn't even had the chance to speak to Draco and thank him for taking the time and making the effort to arrange for Frank and Alice to attend their son's funeral. He genuinely couldn't believe he had made it happen.
"Sure," Steve agreed, glancing over to where the other Avengers were gathered. "Let me just let the others know we're going," he requested. Harry sighed a little but nodded his agreement; he knew he should probably let Hermione and Ron at least know where he was going too, because he was certain they would want to talk to him more about Steve.
They were only about half way towards the Avengers when Harry spotted what looked to be a few late arrivals, but as they got closer he recognised a few familiar faces. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath, picking up the pace a little. The last thing he wanted right now was to have to talk to the press. "Steve, please look after Teddy for me," Harry requested icily.
"Harry… where are you going?" Steve asked, taking Teddy under one arm and holding him close to him as he watched his pregnant boyfriend head off towards these late comers.
"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Harry raged, drawing his wand and pointing it directly at the blond woman, whose elaborate curls were styled neatly atop her head as always. Her jeweled spectacles glinting in the sunlight as she looked Harry up and down with interest. She was flanked by two other wizards, one with a camera and the other there just to take notes. None of them were welcome here.
"I'm here only to document the passing of an extraordinary wizard," Rita said, attempting to sound rather sickly sweet and innocent, as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth but Harry wasn't fooled. He hated this odious woman with a passion, after everything she had done to him, including the atrocious biography she had written of his life after Voldemort's defeat, he had plenty of reasons to dislike her.
"Bullshit, you just want another exclusive, as always," Harry sneered at her. He wanted to keep Steve and Teddy well away from the horrible woman if he could. The last thing that he wanted was for all of them to end up on the front page of the Daily Prophet.
"Well, a little catch up on the world's favourite hero can never hurt," Rita said, her acid green quick quotes quill at the ready. Harry felt like snapping the damn thing in half, all Rita was capable of was spewing lie after lie. "Tell me, now that Andromeda Tonks is dead, who will be raising young Teddy Lupin?"
"You leave him out of it!" Harry snarled, his fists clenched in anger. Rita was pushing all of the wrong buttons today and very shortly he wasn't going to be held responsible for his actions.
"Ah so it is true that you are now the boy's official guardian," Rita said with a smile, taking Harry's overprotective nature as confirmation that this was the case, carrying on with her questions with no idea just how close she was to danger. "Tell me, has he had his first transformation yet, being half werewolf can't be easy for such a young child."
"Harry, love, introduce us," Steve said as he came over to them, only just in time too, as he grabbed hold of Harry's wrist before it could be raised to punch the blond woman in the nose. Steve doubted very much that Harry would forgive himself for causing a scene at Neville's funeral.
"Rita Skeeter," the reported said enthusiastically, holding her hand out to the super soldier, who instinctively took the hand to shake it, smiling at the woman that it was clear Harry felt no fondness towards. There was no chance that she had missed the way that Steve had spoken to Harry, and though Harry was sure that it had been intended as protective, it had potentially complicated matters considerably.
"Steve Rogers," Steve introduced, not missing the way that Harry was glowering at her or that he had pushed Teddy behind them, shielding him from her. There was no way that Steve was going to let Teddy out of his sight after Harry had trusted him to keep an eye on the young boy.
"So tell me all about how you two met," Rita simpered, fluttering her eyes in Steve's direction before looking him up and down; she could definitely see what Harry saw in this man. She gave the photographer to her side a nudge and he raised his camera and snapping a few pictures of them, which only made Harry angrier.
"Absolutely not," Harry said, grabbing Steve's hand. He had wanted to keep them away from Neville's funeral, but he had to think of his family first and so he now knew his priority was getting Steve and Teddy well away from the dreadful woman. "We're leaving… now," he said firmly, as the three of them headed back towards the other Avengers, Rita and the other reports hurrying along behind him.
"We have a car," Steve said quietly, a little alarmed by how urgently Harry was trying to get them away from the people he now thought were probably reporters. He was going to have to ask Harry why he had allowed himself to get so worked up by these people, reporters weren't the nicest of people but Harry was usually so calm and composed.
"I have a quicker way but I'm not supposed to because of the… you know," Harry said, glancing over to the woman who was clearly still listen in to what they were saying. Draco had told him not to apparate anymore if he could help it and so far he hadn't been able to reign this in, he had apparated several times since his appointment, too used to relying on this method of transportation.
"No, we're not taking any chances, not where they're concerned," Steve said in a whisper, "come on, the car is this way," the super solider said, picking Teddy up and placing him easily on his hip so that the could move a little faster.
As Harry, Steve and Teddy had started making their way towards them, the rest of the Avenger's had been on high alert. They might not have known what was going on but they could see very clearly just how angry Harry had become and the worried look on Steve's face as the nine year old clung to him.
Clint was the first one to spot the blond woman following them, clearly shouting questions after them, a photographer snapping pictures as they tried to leave. He drew his bow and arrow and aimed it at the witch pursuing his friends. The others had berated him for bringing his weapons to the funeral, however he was the one laughing now as he defended his friends.
The rest of the guests who had gathered to pay their respects to Neville were gaping in horror as this strange man drew his weapon on the unsuspecting reporter. Everyone present could agree that Rita Skeeter probably deserved it but now was neither the time nor the place for such violence. Kingsley came forward, wanting to deal with the situation before it got much more out of hand however Harry reached Clint first.
"Don't," Harry whispered to him, knowing that as much as he wanted her dead, Clint couldn't kill her, not when all she had done is annoy him, "she isn't worth it, go, I'll deal with this," he said, glaring at the odious woman with pure hatred. Clint took a step behind Harry, lowering his bow but he didn't leave him, not wanting to risk putting him in harms way. Harry glanced over his shoulder, ensuring that Tony was well out of the firing line before drawing his wand on Skeeter who was looking horrified at what was happening.
Harry might have still been wearing the bracelets that stabilized his magic but that didn't mean he wanted to take any chances, not where Tony was concerned. Rita Skeeter really wasn't worth hurting Tony over, though he did think that he was going to rather enjoy cursing her. "Stupefy!" Harry shouted, putting a lot of emotion behind the word and taking a great deal of pleasure in watching the shocked look on her face as she flew backwards and away from the group.
"Remind me never to piss you off," Clint said as he took Harry by the arm and began to drag Harry away from the shocked crowd that clearly didn't know what to think about what was going on. A bemused and in pain Rita Skeeter having to pull herself up from the ground, no one offering to help her.
"No one comes after my family," Harry said, casting an apologetic glance over his shoulder to Ron and Hermione who were desperately trying to shield Rose from what was going on. He caught sight of Draco too but harry didn't know what to make of the look on his face, it seemed to be half concern half amusement.
"Clearly," Clint said as they reached the car where the others had gathered, Teddy still clinging on to Steve who wasn't about to let the nine year old go any time soon.
"Ready to hit the road Casanova?" Tony asked, smiling at Harry who couldn't help but give him a small smile back, though he wasn't sure that he appreciated the nickname and he was sure that Steve didn't either judging by the scowl on his face.
"Yes," Harry said decisively, "back to the safe house, I have a plan," he added, looking at Steve decisively. It had been in the moment that Rita Skeeter had come after him and his family, sniffing around Steve like there was a money making exclusive to be had. Of course there was but that just made the decision easier. Harry wanted out, he wanted something that resembled a normal life and he wanted that with Steve and Teddy, not to mention their unborn twins. He knew just how to get it too.
I want your opinion. I have ideas and plans for this story spanning over the next three years (in the story) to include the events of Ironman 3, Thor 2 and Captain America Winter Soldier. My question to you, my lovely readers is, would you like it all in this story with a few time jumps here and there OR would you like it in a separate story as a sequel? There is the question of if you want to see that far or not as well but again please voice your opinions in a review.
Also, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.