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No Beta Ever
Author: Brightsidetolife
Thousands Of Reasons To Smile
Chapter Thirty-Seven
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you
- Lifehouse
December
"What do you mean they were called away on business? Constantine can't do this to me!"
"And it's so nice to see you, too, Marlene." Valerie responded dryly to her sister. "After all this time, how can I be so lucky?"
Marlene Malfoy, soon to be Marlene Maximilian, had the same features of her brother Constantine. She had long curly blonde hair and clear blue eyes. Marlene's son went to school in Beauxbatons Academy of Magic.
"You think this is funny, Valerie? Constantine must be out of his mind- does he really expect me to leave my son here with you till he gets back? Why didn't he owl me?"
"He did, but you already left. And you're absolutely right - we both know how crazy Constantine can be. Well, it was great seeing you. I'll just show you out-"
"But I don't have anyone else to leave my son with! And I've got to get back to Tokyo!"
"Gone through all your friends, huh? Down to last, desperate measures?"
"Valerie I'm on my way to get married! I can't take Pyrrhos with me on my honeymoon!"
"Especially when husband- wait, what is it now? Number four? Five? Gosh, it's so hard to keep up with your weddings, Marlene! Anyway especially when this husband doesn't particularly like the idea of having a kid around- isn't that what Constantine told me? Hey, Sis, you don't have to explain anything to me. Why should I care if you want to dump him and fly off to your rendezvous?"
"Are you sure Constantine said he'd only be gone for a few days?" Marlene Malfoy broke in, as if she hadn't heard a word Valerie had said. "Well, I suppose if it's just for a few days-"
"Hey, please don't consider me in all this. After all, I don't have plans- my life is totally at your beck and call-"
"Don't be sarcastic, Valerie, that's so like you. I don't have time to argue. I have to get going."Valerie sighed and walked out her living room, her sister following after her.
"Sure you do. Forgive me for interfering with your busy schedule. Where's the kid?"
"His name is Pyrrhos Gerulf Delacour."
"From husband number...?"
"Pyrrhos is thirteen. He's a very sweet, lovable young man."
"Yeah? Just like his mom and Uncle Constantine, huh?"
The Hogwarts Express...
"I'm being serious here! That thing-!"
"Her name is Nagini and she's my pet." Tom said glaring at Alphard.
"Fine whatever, but why does your pet, have to stare at me like it wants to kill me? You think I don't notice it, but I do! You hatched an evil snake. I can't believe you got a 'Acceptable' for it."
"Trust me, that's a 'Dreadful' in Tom's eyes." Minerva joked.
"Nagini is not evil. You don't have a problem with my other pet snake or Harry's."
"That's because they are garden snakes and those two particular snakes don't look at me like I'm something to eat. Besides, that snake-"
"Nagini-"
"...is going to grow and get bigger and venomous. That's what python's do, especially the magical ones."
"Nagini is just a baby, she's not dangerous." Tom said defending his pet snake which was curled around his neck.
'Can I bite him now master? He smells soo good...' Nagini hissed in Tom's ear.
"What did it say? I know it said something about me because your smiling!"
Tom didn't say anything, he just rolled his eyes.
Alphard started to say something else, but was interrupted by Harry.
"Alphard, drop it. I don't want hear anymore bickering about Tom's pet snake during the whole train ride back home." Harry said feeling annoyed that he could not prevent Nagini from existing.
It was unknown when, where or how Lord Voldemort encountered Nagini but she became his magical familiar and the only living creature, apart from himself, that Voldemort cared about. Since he liked to possess snakes it is possible that the Dark Lord found Nagini whilst he was in Albania after attempting to kill Harry.
Harry was sitting in the compartment with Tom, Charlus, Alphard, Ignatius, Minerva, Dorea, and Conall.
"Harry! His snake-"
"Nagini!" Tom said once again, his voice raising in annoyance.
"... tried to eat your baby phoenix!"
"Nagini was just curious, she won't ever do it again. I already apologized for that!" Tom snapped at Alphard. Both Tom and Alphard were sitting across from each other.
"Joxer has many defensive powers, even for a baby. Nagini was lucky that she didn't get purified." Harry commented, sighing and looking at the snowy scenery through the window.
"Where is Joxer anyway? Did you not want him in the same compartment as Tom's snake?" Ignatius asked Harry jokingly. Tom glared at Ignatius and folded his arms to his chest.
"He's with Professor Dumbledore."
"Why?" Charlus asked confused.
"Professor Dumbledore has a phoenix to! Fawkes right?" Conall asked.
"Yeah. Joxer likes playing with Fawkes. I couldn't tear him apart from Fawkes once it was time to leave. Dumbledore said that Joxer would know where I was whenever Joxer wanted to return to me." Harry replied.
"Harry, I know I have asked you this a thousands of times, but, why the name Joxer?" Minerva asked Harry.
"Joxer just had to choose the name that I thought was the least appealing. I was not serious when I suggested that name."
"What does it mean?" Dorea asked snacking on a white chocolate peppermint toad.
"Erm... well... I'm not entirely sure. It was literally a random name I heard somewhere and it just stuck with me I guess. I think the name was based on a comedian."
"I don't know, I just feel like a phoenix, a very, very, very, rare bird, should have a majestic name, Harry." Minerva said.
"Well tell that to him!" Harry said exasperated and than he just shrugged his shoulders. "He loves that name. He won't go by any other name but Joxer."
"And poor Lucretia and me, all we got were baby turtles. I gave mine away to Myrtle." Dorea said bringing out her book to read.
"Well at least you two got a passing grade, it was better than a 'Acceptable'. No offense Tom."
"Whatever."
"Hey! Ignatius and I got an 'Acceptable' as well you know!" Alphard exclaimed.
"Whatever," Charlus said repeating Tom's words, "I got an 'Outstanding', so there." Charlus said proudly.
"Are we going to go through this again? I thought your boasting days were over." Dorea said rolling her eyes. "You didn't see Harry going around boasting about his grade, and he got a phoenix."
"You're soo jealous."
"Oh Merlin." Dorea sighed and flipped a page through her book.
"I hatched a baby dragon."
"Yeah, to bad you couldn't keep it though." Conall replied playing with his pet cat that was sitting on his lap. It would hiss now and then at Tom's snake.
"Oh I will. I requested that my dragon be sent to the dragon trainers at Harp Village. That way I can go visit him whenever I want."
"And what did you name him again?" Dorea asked.
"You never pay attention to anything I say." Charlus frowned at his girlfriend.
"I do occasionally, but sometimes, you just bore me."
Charlus gasped at Dorea.
"I'm pretty sure Charlus named the baby Storm Light dragon, Falkor." Minerva commented.
"Minerva knew what I named the dragon!" Charlus said pointing at Minerva, "You can't even remember a name?"
"It's a dragon! Not a human being!"
"Well that shows how much you care."
"I don't need your attitude, I have one of my own, thanks." Dorea snapped at Charlus going back to reading her book.
"Don't-don't take that I-am-mightier-than-thou tone with me." Charlus frowned, pointing at the seated girl as though she were participating in the argument more than she was, "You think I'm pretty dumb, don't you?"
"Never said that." Dorea interjected, finger held up while her hidden eyes remained on the book. Before Charlus could begin to smile at the not-quite-compliment but not-quite-not-an-insult, Dorea continued, "Not refuting it. But I never said that."
While Charlus and Dorea were bickering Alphard turned his attention on Harry.
"Harry," Alphard squeezed Harry's shoulder, "why don't you relax and go ahead and, what do you call it? Space out?"
Harry managed a small grin. "You're a dork."
"So you tell me."
"S'not a bad thing."
"You tell me that too." Alphard smiled over at Harry.
"Are you guys going to the next Ball?" Minerva asked the group.
"I absolutely love other people's Balls. Something always end up exploding or catching on fire or fighting. Plus the food is awesome. I gained like twenty pounds last time." Charlus exclaimed grinning, his argument with Dorea forgotten.
"Does every pure blood have Christmas balls?" Tom asked curiously.
"Yes, it's tradition. Every pure blood tries to out do each other. It's a riot. From a scale from one to ten, the Potter Christmas balls are usually a five or six. Our family can't really cook and our house elves food are kind of bland. We should have had Harry do all the cooking really. Harry's food is like heaven."Charlus commented making Harry blush in embarrassment.
"Thanks Charlus."
"Next year is your family, right Minerva?" Charlus asked.
"Yes, it is. My family has not discussed what we should plan yet."
"This has got to be the coldest December we have ever had," Tom grumbled to Harry, jumping down off the steps of the train and pulling his jacket tighter. Tom stomped his foot impatiently and waited for Charlus to get off behind him. "Hurry up, Charlus- I'm half frozen!"
"Maybe we'll get snowed in till summer!" Charlus said jumping off the train joyfully.
"That's wishful thinking." Conall said to Charlus. "Have a happy holiday, mate. See ya, Tom, Harry." Conall waved goodbye to the brothers.
"See ya." Charlus and Harry replied back. Tom just waved offhandedly and went to say his goodbyes to Minerva. Charlus followed suite and had headed off to bug Dorea.
"I'm going to head off as well. Eric is already on his way out." Ignatius replied.
"Later Iggy." Alphard replied.
"Be sure to write Ignatius, but I'll chat with you on our three way mirror." Harry went up and hugged Ignatius goodbye whom was surprised by the act of kindness, but still returned the hug.
"Bye." Ignatius waved goodbye and ran after his brother Eric.
"Can I have a hug? Or are you still sore with me? It's been weeks since you've last hugged me, Har." Alphard said to Harry practically pouting.
Harry hugged Alphard and Alphard leaned in and whispered in Harry's ear. "I'm going to miss you... but not in the stalkerish, I want to put you in a tiny, tiny room where I only have the key sort of way."
Smiling Harry kissed Alphard on the cheek. "Promise to come visit me?"
"Of course." Alphard replied back.
"Alphard, stop dawdling, let's go." Walburga Black said angrily to her brother. She was holding Orion Black's hand and her luggage with the other.
Instead of answering his sister, Alphard leaned over Harry and kissed him passionately. Alphard kissed Harry with tongues and everything to anger his sister.
When Alphard saw that Walburga had stormed off with Orion, he broke his kiss off with Harry and laughed.
Harry couldn't help but laugh at the cheeky grin on Alphard's face. "You're an ass." Harry laughed along with Alphard.
"Harry! Stop swapping spit with Alphard and let's go!" Charlus yelled at Harry. Both Charlus and Tom were standing in front of the ticket barrier to leave. Passerby students laughed at Charlus words.
"Later, Har-bear."
"Later, Al." Harry ran after his brothers.
As the brothers came through the solid wall, there was a loud bark, and a second later a whitish brown Labrador retriever came rushing towards the three boys. Mostly trying to gain Harry's attention.
"Hey, Hermes!" Harry said to the eager awaiting dog and immediately got to his knees and wrapped his arms around the dog. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked scratching behind Hermes ears.
"Mum! Dad!" Charlus hurried over to greet his parents. Charlus gave a half glance at the brunette standing next to his mother before he gave both parents a hug.
"Come on, boy." Harry said to the energetic Labrador as Hermes walked ahead of him.
"I thought Hermes could use some fresh air and the walk." Boniface Potter replied giving both Harry and Tom a hug.
"Is that another snake?" Boniface asked Tom.
"I hatched her, she's mine." Tom said possessively.
Boniface frowned at the snake around Tom's neck. "Tom, that looks like a python."
"She is a python."
Boniface sighed and looked at his wife whom was hiding a smile.
"Were going to have to take the venom out of her, Tom. Python's are dangerous breeds."
"Father-"
"Take it or leave it son. Your snake will still be the same without her venom."
Tom scowled. "That's not fair. She's just a baby."
"A baby snake with poisonous venom in her system. You seem to be forgetting that huge factor. Now what is it going to be?"
"Take the venom out."
"Good choice."
"Everybody, this is Pyrrhos. He's your cousin on my side of the family. Your aunt Marlene is away and your uncle Constantine couldn't take care of your cousin so he has asked me to watch after Pyrrhos for the rest of the holiday. We are giving a warm welcome to Pyrrhos, aren't we boys?" Valerie asked them sternly.
"Yes, Ma'am." All three boys said together.
Pyrrhos had an angelic look to himself. He had clear blue eyes and had a short brown ivy league hairstyle. He was wearing a long black winter coat and had on black slacks and and wearing black snow boots. He definitely looked like he was raised with a silver spoon. Pyrrhos was not trying to downplay his wealthy upbringing.
Harry thought Pyrrhos looked like he did not want to be associated with the likes of them, but did not have a choice in the matter. He had a long deliberate stare. It wasn't friendly.
"I'm Tom." Tom brought out his hand to shake Pyrrhos.
Pyrrhos didn't take Tom's offered hand. "Pyrrhos Delacour." Pyrrhos muttered folding his arms to his chest.
"It's good to meet more of Mum's side of the family." Charlus added, but Pyrrhos just stared and there was an odd set to his lips that looked suspiciously like a sneer.
"Right, well welcome to the Potter family Delacour." Harry said, purposely not calling him by his first name. Harry was surprised about how shockingly mean Pyrrhos Delacour was, knowing his future family whom was nothing but nice.
"It's Pyrrhos."
"I know." Harry said not caring.
"Well than use it." Pyrrhos snapped at Harry.
"I'll use it, when I see fit to, Delacour." Harry snapped back at the boy.
"Harry! What did I just say?" Valerie said to her son.
"Where's his room?" Harry asked changing the subject as the family started to walk again to leave the station.
Valerie frowned disapprovingly at his son before answering. "Pyrrhos has a room down the hall from your father and mine."
"Good." Harry replied back. Pyrrhos room was around the corner and two halls down away from his and Tom's room.
"Harry!" Harry turned around to see Alphard running up to him.
"Here." Alphard handed Harry a small purple wrapped box with a black bow on top.
"I almost forgot to give you this. It's your Christmas present. My family is forcing me out of the country, Hawaii, I think, for the first week of the holidays. And I rather just give you my present now, in person. Don't worry though, I'm still going to sneak out and visit you."
"Oh." Harry said looking down at his present in surprise. "Thank you! But you're still not getting your present till Christmas." Harry smiled as Alphard sighed in fake sadness.
Harry hugged Alphard once again.
"Aren't you going to introduce us? That's quite rude." Pyrrhos said to Harry, looking at Alphard in a seductive way. Harry narrowed his eyes at him. Was Pyrrhos gay?
"Alphard, this is Pyrrhos Delacour, my mum's nephew. Pyrrhos, this is my boyfriend Alphard Black." Pyrrhos glared at Harry by his choice of words of introducing him to Alphard.
Alphard smiled at Harry's antics. "Hello Delacour-"
"Pyrrhos." Pyrrhos corrected Alphard shaking his hand. Alphard looked like he was uneasy when he shook Pyrrhos's hand, Harry noticed as Alphard hurried and took his hand back. Pyrrhos just smiled bigger.
Alphard fake coughed. "Yeah, well, I should go. Bye Harry. Bye Mr. and Mrs. Potter."
Harry watched Alphard leave before he turned his suspicious eyes on Pyrrhos.
"Alphard seems nice. And he's a cutie. You're very lucky." Pyrrhos commented to Harry.
"Yeah, I know. I'd hurt anybody who would even attempt to get between Alphard and I." Harry said with a hint of threat in his words.
Pyrrhos gave Harry a sly smirk and walked on with the rest of the family.
Harry turned to Tom whom had been silent through the entire conversation.
'Pyrrhos is going to try something, I know it. Did you see the way he was looking at Al?' Harry asked Tom, in parseltongue of course so that they wouldn't be understood by the family.
'He's new to the family, cut him some slack.'
Harry's face said it all. 'Bullshit. I don't like him.'
The Next Day...
Harry's eyes fluttered open and immediately snapped closed. Moaning miserably, Harry covered his head with his hand. Harry felt god-awful. His head was pounding and his stomach was telling him how utterly unhappy it was.
There was a noise somewhere to Harry's left and then he heard Tom walking around their room. "You awake, Harry?"
"Yes." Harry curled up in an attempt to make the pain stop. It didn't work. Harry came up with another solution. "But could you kill me?"
"Wouldn't be very kind of me." Harry could hear the amusement in Tom's voice and it hurt his head. Harry couldn't help but feel the irony of his previous words.
"I have to disagree with you. It would be kinder to put me out of my misery." Harry felt around for his glasses without actually looking for them. Harry thought he should ask a few key questions. "Where am I?"
"Your bed."
"How did I get here?"
"Dad put you there. Don't you remember?"
A chill went up Harry's spine. The feelings of doubt flooded his mind making him frown in confusion.
Harry was under his blanket. He was fairly certain his pajamas were on, but his head wasn't working right. Harry felt he should make sure. "If I get up, I'm not going to embarrass myself am I?"
"Do you think you have something I haven't seen before?"
Harry yawned. "I actually don't remember anything much from yesterday, which is really weird. I remember coming home, arguing with Pyrrhos some more, having lunch, arguing with Pyrrhos again, talking with Joxer, arguing with Pyrrhos, dinner...I remember walking to the dinning room for dinner...that's it."
"You were very quite during dinner. You look like you were in another world." Tom commented.
Harry frowned in thought. "Do you think Pyrrhos-"
"Harry, I'm tired of you complaining about Pyrrhos-"
"Tom, is it my fault he makes people hate him? I don't whisper in his ear every morning, 'Be a jerk.' That comes from within."
"I think he's been pretty decent enough. You are being way too hard on him."
Harry looked at Tom in shock. "What?"
"I mean it, Harry. Just lay off him. I'm going downstairs for breakfast."
"Who are you!" Harry yelled at Tom, as he walked out the door and shut the door behind him.
"Good morning sweet heart." Valerie said to her son Tom as soon as he walked into the kitchen.
Everybody was in the kitchen already eating breakfast. Tom went to sit beside Charlus.
"Where is your brother?" Boniface asked Tom, folding his newspaper and setting it down on the table beside his cup of coffee.
"He's refusing to come out. And I think he threw something at the door as I was walking out the room."
"Oh, Harry," Valerie sighed, shaking her head.
"Is it normal for Harry to be acting this way?" Pyrrhos asked buttering up his toast. "He's acting like he wants attention."
"No... Harry is not an attention seeker. Quite the opposite." Charlus commented scratching the back of his head.
"Are we still going to go ice skating or are we going to wait for Harry to make his presence known? It's seems highly unfair that we have to wait on him just because he's in a bad mood. Don't you agree, Tom?" Pyrrhos put his hand on Tom's and Tom had a blank expression on his face before he nodded in agreement.
"Wait- we can't-" Boniface started frowning, but was cut off.
"It's only fair." Pyrrhos said, eyes staring directly at both Boniface and Valerie.
If ever there was a time that Harry Potter wished he'd been wrong about his gut feelings about Pyrrhos and Tom had been right, now would be that time. Harry walked down the stairs fifteen minutes after Tom had left out the room and walked into the kitchen, only to come to an empty room filled with unfinished breakfast on five plates.
"Xandar?" Harry called for the house elf.
Xandar came before Harry in a small 'pop' noise. "Yes, master Harry?"
"Where is everybody?" Harry asked confused.
Xandar wrung his ear nervously. "They left master Harry."
"Where?" Harry was shocked. Did his family just up and leave him alone in the house by himself?
"They went ice skating master Harry."
"It's nine in the morning!" Harry said practically speechless.
"They were rather in a hurry." Xandar said looking down.
"Can you tell me who suggested this sudden urgency to go ice skating?" Harry asked, already knowing what the answer was going to be.
"I believe Mr. Pyrrhos Delacour suggested the ice skating master Harry. And they took Hermes as well."
"My DOG!" Harry was fuming. "Thanks, Xandar." Harry said storming around the kitchen. Harry grits his teeth as he searches fruitlessly for the orange juice pitcher in the fridge.
"That's it, my life officially blows."
Harry always had someone to talk to about all things unfair wise, before Julius, someone that was always at his side, someone that had been through everything that Harry had, and that someone was Tom. But not anymore. Whatever was going on, Pyrrhos was the root of it. He messed with the wrong Potter.
"So, Harry," Alphard begins joyfully with a smile, "what are we up to today?" Harry looked over his shoulder and he sees Alphard chowing down on the plateful of half eaten eggs and bacon that had been left on the table. It was a surprise to Harry to see Alphard. He hadn't even heard Alphard walk in, he must have been so angry about Pyrrhos.
"Al, what are you doing here?" Harry asked pouring both himself and Alphard some orange juice in two clean glass cups.
"Oh you know me, never a dull moment with the Black family. I can safely say, that I'm a disappointment in my parents eyes."
Harry hopped onto the kitchen counter as did Alphard. "I'm sorry, I know that it's me-"
"Don't Harry. I already told you that this has nothing to do with you. It's not about you mate, my ever loving parents always found me as a disappointment." Alphard said cutting Harry off and swinging his feet back and forth. Alphard didn't seem at all bothered by his own words.
"So I see that you've had a better night than I." Harry says darkly.
Alphard cocked his head to the side. He could feel the distress rolling off of Harry in waves as soon as he stepped foot into the kitchen. Harry was hurt and upset about something and he was using casual sarcasm as a crutch. Like always.
"Slept like a log." Alphard replies brightly through a mouthful of crunchy toast. "Why is it so empty in here?"
"Pyrrhos somehow convinced everybody to leave and go ice skating without me. Mind you that's it nine in the morning. And where did the ice skating even come from? We had no intentions of going ice skating today."
Alphard swallowed his food and jumped off the counter. "Pyrrhos is something supernatural. I don't know what, but he's not all human. I could feel it when he touched my skin."
"Is that why you looked so uneasy?" Harry asked him, frowning in thought as he jumped off the counter as well.
Alphard shrugged his shoulders. "I... well it's not really that. It was mainly because I felt... I dunno." Alphard looked embarrassed.
"What?" Harry asked suspicion rising.
"To say it was unorthodox would be a dreadful understatement, because it was, most certainly, far more than unorthodox. It was bizarre, incomprehensible, supposedly impossible, and, among all other things, terribly wrong."
"Did you have feelings for him?" Harry asked shocked, suspicion confirmed.
"It's not important-"
"Not important!"
"He made me feel that way! I don't have any feelings for him! Drop it okay! Just... it's obviously some kind of power he has."
"And why wouldn't you be attracted to him compared to me? The boy is – at a risk of sounding cliché – beautiful. Me? My eyes are a boring green, my hair is mussed everyday, and my sense of fashion a vomit-inducing sort of thing-"
"Low self-esteem, an innate clumsiness, and a general inability to understand simple instruction – they are all bad qualities." Alphard finished for Harry.
Harry didn't say anything. He just stood there fuming.
"That's nothing, compared to who you are as a person, Harry. It's more than that. It's the little things, like when you gesture animatedly with your hands, sometimes the gestures melting flawlessly into full-out flailing. I enjoy when you make little noises of frustration, an 'ugh', or an 'grr'.There is also the laughter, lovingly garnished with a snort when it gets too difficult to contain, and along with that, the inner goodness and purity that's inside of you even after everything you have been through in your future."
Harry looked down and blushed in embarrassment of Alphard's words about him.
"So now that we got the awkwardness out the way, what do you want to do while everybody is away? It has to be within the hour though. My father checks to make sure that I'm still in the same facility that they are every hour. I've been forbidden to see you." Alphard said changing the subject.
"And that doesn't bother you." Harry quirked a brow, "Me being a Potter, so called 'blood traitor' and you being a Black? Our kind doesn't typically get along. The whole jealousy feud over power we've got going on and the whole blood purity. Your parents must hate my guts. Well never mind, they do. You're forbidden to see me."
"I'm not your conventional pure blood, Harry," Alphard crowded Harry against the counter his breath teasing along Harry's parted lips, "Screw my parents. As soon as I turn of age, I'm ditching them anyway. And I'd say we get along just fine. "
"I guess you're right." Harry pressed his lips against Alphard's already melting into his hold.
"Am I interrupting?" Charlus walked into the kitchen, just by himself and jumped onto the kitchen counter next to Harry and Alphard.
"Yes, come back in forty-five minutes." Alphard said to Charlus, whom wasn't paying him any attention.
"I thought you were ice-skating." Harry said half hurt and annoyed.
"Do you see any skates on me? I went with Mum and Dad to try to convince them to come back home. I mean I was still eating breakfast, which now I'm sure is in Alphard's stomach." Charlus commented looking at his empty plate and Alphard's grinning face.
"You snooze, you lose."
"Everybody has been acting weird since Pyrrhos has come along. It's like everybody is being put under a spell or something."
"Or something." Alphard muttered.
"So you didn't go ice-skating?" Harry asked slightly happier that Charlus did not abandon him.
"No. I didn't. And I hate the fact that Pyrrhos suggested we go without you and that everybody actually did! Do you think Pyrrhos is making Mum and Dad and Tom do all these things? Like he has mind control or something?"
"Smart, this kid." Alphard said rolling his eyes.
"I'm being serious! Maybe Harry and I are immune?"
"Yes, perhaps, but immune to what is the question." Alphard said leaning against the counter.
"Alphard thinks that Pyrrhos is not all human." Harry said to Charlus.
"I know he's not all human."
"The only thing I can think of is that Pyrrhos is either a Veela, a Siren, or a Banshee."
"I'm a half breed actually. One of a kind." Pyrrhos walked into the kitchen with a slight annoyed expression on his face.
"Where's mum and dad?" Charlus asked frowning at Pyrrhos.
"Ice skating as you should be." Pyrrhos said looking at Charlus with an intense stare.
Charlus in return just flipped him off with both hands. Harry held in his laughter at this. Harry was rubbing off of Charlus with his mannerisms.
"I see." Pyrrhos said looking away from Charlus to stare at both Harry and Alphard. "Some people, very rare, are immune to my powers. One, because they are already one themselves or two, because they have already train themselves to ignore and block such obvious hypnosis. Kind of like fighting off an Imperious curse. You're parents and your brother Tom failed miserably on that concept."
"What are you?" Harry asked frowning along with Charlus and Alphard.
Pyrrhos smiled and walked closer to the three boys. Harry blocked Pyrrhos view of Alphard. "My powers were working on you fine last night. I wonder what's different today? Of course you were a bit reasiliant to my voice when I first met you." Pyrrhos said to Harry, a slight frown on his angelic face.
"I knew you did something last night! What did you do to me?" Harry asked in an accusing voice.
Pyrrhos just hummed and his smile was once again placed on his face. "You wouldn't shut up and you were so bloody rude to me. I thought a few hours of silence from your mouth would do us both good. It didn't hurt you, much, it could have been much worse, but I didn't against my better judgment," Pyrrhos smirked at Harry's glare, "you were just in a sort of sleep like state. My singing can put people in two week commas, but that would have been way too suspicious if I had done that to you."
"Before I kick your ass, it would be best to know what kind of creature I'm beating." Harry said in menacing voice.
Pyrrhos laughed. "I'm half Veela and half Mermaid. All on my father's side. Maybe a bit of Veela on my mum's side. Who knows." Pyrrhos said waving in greeting at Alphard whom cringed in discomfort.
"Stop flirting with my boyfriend you fucking prick." Harry snapped at Pyrrhos, his hair turning a fiery red, looking very much like his birth mother Lily Potter.
Pyrrhos just smirked in amusement. "Is it my fault that your boyfriend finds me appealing? Attracted to me even. Maybe we could share him?" Pyrrhos taunted, trying to get a rise out of Harry.
Harry got in Pyrrhos face about to beat the living daylights out of him when Charlus came between them.
"Pyrrhos, you're a stuck-up, know-it-all, and an antisocial jackass." Charlus said only making Pyrrhos smirk even more. "If you don't stop manipulating my family, I personally, will make your life a living hell. I'm immune to your powers, so is Harry. We have no problem handling you. Do you got it?"
"What are you going to do? I have your parents wrapped around my finger." Pyrrhos smirked.
Charlus shook his head no. "They'll see right through you. They'll listen to reason."
"Charlus, I tell your parents to jump, they will jump. I tell them to jump of a bridge to please me, and you'll have no parents at all. I tell them to forget that they have a son named Charlus Jamie Potter-"
CRUCH
Charlus threw a punch at Pyrrhos face, breaking his noise by the sound of it. There was a lot of blood flowing down from Pyrrhos nose. Pyrrhos had even fell to the floor when Charlus delivered the punch. Charlus was not through though, he jumped on top of Pyrrhos and kept delivering his blows to Pyrrhos face.
"Sh- shouldn't we stop him?" Alphard asked Harry. Pyrrhos face was looking pretty gruesome.
"Meh."
"He's crying now."
"Yeah, that is pretty funny."
"Harry-"
"Fine," Harry flexed his fingers, "Charlus, come on, stop." Harry said halfheartedly, still standing next to Alphard.
"Wow, Harry, great effort." Alphard said clapping his hands mockingly.
"Charlus Jamie Potter!" Boniface yelled at his son and successfully pulled Charlus apart from Pyrrhos.
"You're gone. By the end of the day, I will not ever have to see your face again. I'm fire calling Uncle Constantine." Charlus was heated as he stormed out of the kitchen.
Pyrrhos half cried and half laughed holding his bleeding nose. "You're going to pay!" Pyrrhos yelled after Charlus.
"What's going on here?" Boniface asked as Valerie chased after Charlus. Tom was looking down at Pyrrhos bewildered.
"Did you know that Pyrrhos is half Veela and half Mermaid?" Harry asked his surrogated father.
Boniface looked at Harry like he lost his mind. "What?"
"Pyrrhos is going to leave today and he's not coming back." Harry said it like it was a fact.
"Episkey," Boniface waved his wand at Pyrrhos face, "What are you talking about? Pyrrhos is your cousin, Harry-"
"Dad, Pyrrhos has been using hypnosis and his singing, his voice, is like a siren. You and Mum and Tom, you've all been put under his spell since he's been here!"
"H-h-he's lying! He's just jealous!" Pyrrhos said trying to stand up.
"I'm jealous? Of what? Mummy didn't dump me for some new husband-"
Pyrrhos let some kind of screeching noise that sounded a lot like the golden egg Harry had to retrieve on the First Task of the Triwizard Tournament. Pyrrhos knocked Harry over, knocking the wind out of him.
"Delacour! That is enough!" Boniface grabbed Pyrrhos by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him off Harry. "Let me go." Pyrrhos said shoving Boniface off him.
"Pyrrhos you listen to me," Boniface said lowering himself to Pyrrhos height, "Don't you ever attack my son-" Boniface pulled Pyrrhos face back to him, "look at me when I talk to you young man. I will not have you playing mind games with my family. Do you understand me? Now pack your things and get ready to leave."
Once Pyrrhos stormed out the kitchen door Alphard helped Harry to his feet.
Boniface was looking on at both Harry and Alphard with a look of annoyance and shame.
"Dad I'm s-"
"Harry, you do realize I'm not mad, right?"
"Disappointed," Harry concluded for him.
"Disappointed?" his father asked, a little incredulous. "You should be disappointed in me! I'm sorry son. I had no idea that Delacour was a … whatever."
Harry smirked in amusement.
"Come here." Boniface pulled Harry into a hug.
December 20, 1939
Alphard tapped his quill impatiently against his parchment, thinking of all the ways to sneak out of the house under his parent's radar to go visit Harry.
"What are you doing?"
Alphard rolled his eyes exasperatedly as his younger brother came barging into his room. "Trying to do my homework," Alphard growled.
Cygnus cocked his head a little. "Since when do you do your homework?"
"Since Mom and Dad grounded me after somebody told on me!" Alphard snapped at his brother.
"Hey! Just because you were out all night hanging out with your boyfriend when you were supposed to be grounded, doesn't make it my fault!"
Alphard rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just leave me alone and go play with your dolls."
Cygnus scrunched his face. "They're not dolls! They're puppets!"
"Yeah, whatever. Girl."
Cygnus humphed and stormed off, slamming Alphard's bedroom door as he left.
"I need to get a lock," Alphard said under his breath.
Thirty minutes later and no further on his homework, Alphard threw his quill down, muttering a small curse under his breath and got up to get something to eat.
On his way down the stairs, he noticed the dead silence of the house. He stopped mid-step, trying to hear his parents arguing about him (a normal occurrence everyday since he's been home) or his brother making a racket. Walburga was with her boyfriend (cousin) Orion at his home.
Not a single sound. Nothing.
"Mum? Dad?" Alphard called out hoping to hear a sarcastic yell back.
He descended the rest of the way down, looking into the living room from the stair platform.
"Where is everyone?" Alphard walked through the living room when he heard a soft whimpering. Not sure he heard it, Alphard stayed still, making sure he was hearing properly. When he heard a loud crash, Alphard frowned in confusion and ran to the source of the noise, which sounded like it was coming from the kitchen.
"What's going on?"As soon as he burst through the door, a sudden force pulled on Alphard, flinging him through the kitchen until his body slammed against the wall.
Air knocked out of him, Alphard gasped for breath, his vision blurring with sudden tears of pain. As his vision cleared, he saw a form standing in front of him. Alphard blinked a few times to clear the tears away.
"Aaahhh!" Alphard kicked out trying to move and get away from the dirty blonde, blue eyed man that had him pinned against the wall. "Get away from me you murdering egotistic bastard!"
"Now vat vas very inappropriate." Gellert Grindelwald said making the overhead lights flickering. Grindelwald was dressed in a long black cloak over his red business shirt with his black vest over it and black slacks and business shoes.
Alphard's eyes widened when he noticed the pool of blood surrounding his mother's head. His mother, Irma Black, was lying on the floor, unconscious. "Mum...?" Alphard's eyes widened impossibly further as he comprehended what happened to his mother.
"Crucio!"
Alphard's eyes widen in shock as Grindelwald was crumpling on the ground in pain. Alphard fell to the floor as Grindelwald's concentration was broken. Looking up, Alphard saw that his father was trying to keep his concentration on Grindelwald while he started speaking.
"Alphard! Get your brother and get out of here! Now!"
It was only then that Alphard noticed Cygnus, whom was crunched up in the corner of the kitchen holding his bloody arm. Cyngus was sobbing, his face red and eyes swollen in grief. His gaze flickered from his mother's body, which he could obviously see, and his father whom was trying to keep Grindelwald at bay.
Alphard quickly got to his feet and ran to snatch his brother whom seemed to be frozen in shock and ran back out the kitchen and towards the living room to get to the fireplace.
Both Alphard and Cyngus landed out of the fireplace with a 'thud'.
"Hello? Mr. and Mrs. Potter? Harry?"
"Why did you bring us here?" Cyngus asked with a slight strain in his voice. His right arm was still bleeding and he was holding it against his chest.
"Shut up. Harry's parents are Healers and I panicked okay. Get up." Alphard pulled Cyngus up with his good arm.
"Hello? Who's there?" Boniface voice muttered groggily. He was just now coming to the living room.
Sleeping was the last thing Alphard had expected Mr. Potter to be doing right now, but he was glad he was awake rather than the alternative.
"Mr. Potter! My family was attacked by Gellert Grindelwald and my Mum..." Alphard couldn't finish that sentence. Tears were forming in his eyes. He didn't have a good relationship with his mother, but he never wanted her dead.
"Where's your father? I'll alert the ministry and get Valerie to come down here and heal you. You two stay put." Boniface said, sounding suddenly much more awake as he hurried out of the room.
"Dad is going to be angry that you brought us here."
"If he's even alive!" Alphard snapped at his brother.
Cyngus looked at Alphard in pure loathing.
"Shut up and sit down." Alphard said shoving Cyngus to the couch. "Don't move, don't talk, and just wait till Mrs. Potter comes down." Alphard turned his back to Cyngus and put both his hands to his face. He couldn't believe what just happened. He just felt so helpless!
Alphard sighed and tried to keep himself together as he turned around and made himself look down at Cyngus whom was surprisingly crying silent tears. Alphard sat down beside him and reached out and touched his shoulder, then stopped himself before he shook him, realizing how painful that would probably be.
"I'm sorry. Dad is going to be fine." Alphard whispered out. Alphard hoped anyway. He had yet encountered a wizard that could take on Gellert Grindelwald.
Cyngus did not say anything in return. Just nodded his head in understanding.
There was the sound of movement, running, then a little sigh of relief.
"Alphard!" Alphard looked up to see Harry, still in his pajamas, approaching him. Valerie Potter coming up right behind Harry.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked as Valerie went to Cyngus. She went and knelt next to Cyngus, examining him.
Alphard just stood up from the sofa and pulled Harry into a hug. Burying his nose in Harry's short messy hair, Alphard inhaled his scent and waited for the knot in his stomach to fade, not able to speak any words. A fat tear slipped down his cheek, then dropped. It ran down, soaking into Harry's shirt. Harry just bit his lip worriedly as his mother started healing Cyngus, running her hands over his bloody arm, the soft glow of her power flowing from her hands down into Cyngus arm.
Harry stood there in silent contemplation for a few minutes, before he slowly pulled away from Alphard. He looked over at Alphard frowning, "How did this happen? How did you end up here with your brother in the first place?"
Alphard started to reach up to scrub his fingers through his hair, but then stopped when he saw the disturbing traces of blood on his hand. He put his hands back down to keep from looking at them.
"I was doing homework late and then later on decided to get something to eat and when I went down the steps I could hear these noises, not normal noises, and went to investigate... Mum, she was... she was already dead when I- Dad sent a curse at Grindelwald to distract him while Cyngus and I got away. Your home was the first thing that popped in my head."
Harry let out a little sigh, carefully taking Alphard's purple flannel shirt off his shoulders. Alphard didn't know why, but he let him take it off without question. Valerie finished healing Cyngus arm and went to take Harry's place on helping Alphard. She lit her wand into Alphard's eyes to see if he had a concussion.
"Do you feel nauseated? Where do you hurt the most?" Valerie asked Alphard.
Somehow it hadn't really registered to Alphard that he'd been hurt until he saw it. Now that he realized they were there, the cuts suddenly started stinging and the the feeling of nausea suddenly hit him. He must have been in shock, because he somehow hadn't even noticed the warm blood that was now soaking a good portion of the back of his shirt and was actually dripping off the bottom of his arm.
"You and your brother are very lucky that your injuries were not worse." Valerie continued, completely unfazed by the blood. She held her hand over him, soft light starting to emanate from it, making the pain slowly started to fade.
"You're going to stay here with us tonight. Right Mum?" Harry asked his mother whom smiled grimly at him.
"Of course they are. Until we get everything sorted out. Alphard and Cyngus will be staying here." Valerie said as the light from her hand faded away. "Boniface has sent the Ministry officials to Grimmauld Place." Valerie gave her hand a sweep down Alphard's head, back, then arm, making the blood disappear.
December 24, 1939 The Weasley Ball
"Don't worry about it." Harry said.
"What do you mean, don't worry about it.. she's frustrating as hell." Charlus answered back. Charlus was sitting on Harry's bed, watching as both Tom and Harry fixed themselves up in their mirror.
"Just apologize to Dorea. Were suppose to be leaving soon and if she doesn't come, you don't have a date."
"Oh she'll come, but she'll come with somebody else to be spiteful. Anyway... is Alphard coming to the Ball?"
Joxer made a little shrilling noise in excitement as he started flying around in a circle. He was just getting the hang of flying.
Harry sighed shaking his head no. "The funeral was yesterday. I didn't ask him if he was coming because I feel that it's too soon. I mean his mother was just murdered barely a few days ago."
"Stupid question of me to ask really. If it was me, I'd never come out my room for months. He still has his father though." Charlus commented.
"This ball is a mask party?" Tom asked frowning dubiously as he played with his black mask. Harry glared his eyes at Tom's lack of caring.
It was Christmas Eve, and the three brothers and their parents were preparing for the party being held at the Weasley's house. Josh Weasley's house actually, captain of the Gryffindor team. Apparently every Weasley Christmas Ball had a outstanding party record and each year's event was wilder than the last. Everyone was expected to come in some sort of mask.
Harry was decorated in a costume just as his brothers were. His suit that he wore was black with red trimmings around the cuffs and the buttons. His pants where the same black and he had a pair of dress shoes on his small feet. Harry held his black mask, not about to wear it till he got to the Ball.
"I don't know why your apathetic words upsets me so much. It's not like you care about Al." Harry replied sitting down next to Charlus.
Tom turned away from his mirror and looked at Harry with a look of annoyance. "Why should I be sadden about Alphard's misfortune? Alphard still has his father and if he didn't, he would still have many other family members that would take care of him. He is very fortunate. Unlike I was. Even you, you were sent to live with your remaining relatives."
Harry frowned at Tom. "I would have rather lived in an orphanage, but that's beside the point. Losing your parent, I would never wish that on anyone, even if I did have more remaining relatives to take care of me." Tom was about say something, but Harry kept talking, "Could you image if our parents were killed? What would you say then? Well at least we have more relatives to take care of us? Could you try to be a little bit more sympathetic?"
"I suppose so." Tom muttered after awhile. Tom half of the time had been agreeing to any argument that he would have with Harry from time to time out of guilt. Once he realized that Pyrrhos had been messing with his mind, hypnotizing him, Tom was furious. Harry wasn't sure if Tom was furious with himself or with Pyrrhos, but either way, he had been trying to please Harry ever since Pyrrhos was forced out of the Potter Mansion. Tom had even been keeping Nagini away from Harry and Joxer, which was something to Harry knowing how much Tom liked Nagini.
"Don't be so hard on him, Har. I guess I would probably be bitter myself if I was raised in an orphanage for eleven years. Tom didn't have anybody until we came along anyway." Charlus said to Harry, shrugging off Tom's indifference about Alphard.
"Yeah. Okay. Well, Charlus are you going to have drag Dorea to the ball with you or are you going to her house to get her?"
"I don't care. If she shows up, she shows up." Charlus replied standing up off of Harry's bed.
"Happy Christmas Eve everyone. The dance floor is over on the left, and the drinks are to the right. Well, your left, my right. Have a good time, and let's get this party started!" Everyone around Harry cheered. Harry though cringed. He didn't particularly like being surrounded by so many people he didn't know nor liked.
Mr. and Mrs. Prince were there, the Nott's, Avery's, Roiser's, half the pure bloods that couldn't stand muggles and muggle borns. I suppose since the Weasley's were pure bloods, some of the higher class still went, for show. This was not the Burrow. This was 'The Prosapia Aula' Located in Alnwick, north Northumberland, England. Harry thought It was a thoroughly magical dwelling palace.
The house belonged to Mr. Richard Weasley and his wife Mrs. Ginerva Weasley. Richard Weasley had blue eyes and neat cut red hair receding on the back of his head. He was tall and a friendly atmosphere around him. Ginerva Weasley had brown finger wave hair and brown eyes. She was short and had a very warming smile. Both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were dressed for the occasion.
"Excuse me! It would like to make a toast to my son!" Everybody looked up at Mr. Richard Weasley as he was holding a glass of champagne along with his wife. "My son Septimus just proposed marriage to miss Cinderella Black and she happily accepted!"
Everybody clapped, well half of the crowd clapped and cheered. Both Septimus and Cinderella looked half pleased and half embarrassed at the attention. Joseph and Josh Weasley started blowing whistles. Both Joseph and Septimus were brothers. Septimus had already graduated from Hogwarts two years previously.
Septimus Weasley, was about 5'10 or 5'11 and he had the Weasley red hair and blue eyes. Harry found it, uncanny and almost hurtful, on how much Septimus looked like his best friend Ron Weasley. Cinderella Black looked very elegant. Her curly golden blonde hair went to her shoulder and her gray eyes sparkled in amusement. She was an inch shorter than Septimus.
"Thanks, Dad." Septimus muttered. Everybody proceed on the dance floor and got more drinks and mingled. The ballroom was inside the huge palace and there was also a lengthy balcony that connected to the ballroom in cased guest needed some air. Harry was happy to hear this news as well. He couldn't wait for the future Weasley clan.
"Harry, are you going to be okay, by yourself? You should join us. Mingle!" Aurora said to Harry. Conall Norton had invited Aurora as a date, which she happily accepted.
Harry found it odd that Francis Longbottom came with Nixie Conway. She seemed really happy though. The whole Longbottom clan were there actually. Ryan Longbottom had Dorisa Lupin as a date, which Harry hope did not make things awkward between Charlus and Dorea.
Dorea had showed up with some no named Huffelpuff trying to get a rise out of Charlus, but as soon as the Huffelpuff boy saw Charlus storming towards them, he ditched Dorea in a hurry. Of course Charlus and Dorea started arguing with each other once again, but they pulled it together.
Tom had picked Minerva up, Minerva's family was at the ball as well.
Ignatius came with Lucretia Black. Ignatius brother Eric and his father was at the ball.
Harry, could have brought a date, but decided against it. He couldn't have fun without Alphard. It wasn't the same to him.
"You guys have fun." Harry said waving them off.
Colors blurred together on the dance floor. They swirled in and out of the masses of dresses and suits of men. High class women held glasses of champagne in their hands as they sipped daintily at the sparkling drink if they weren't on the floor dancing. Men chose more stronger drinks such as red whine, the stems of the delicate glass goblets held between gloved fingers.
The music which swirled around the room in crescendo and decrescendo was noble sounding as the violinists let their bows dip across the strings to create the flurry of notes on could almost see and taste in the air if concentrating hard enough. The pianist and players of wind instruments added to the violins and percussion's as the music notes swirled around the dancing bodies on the floor.
Harry's eyes watched the dancers as they held onto their significant others hand and twirled each other across the lavishly polished floor. Shoes tapped against the stone and there was the faint chattering sound mixing with the music.
The music changed to another song and the people on the dance floor quickly changed their pace to follow suite. Harry caught sight of a familiar tall, blonde hair and the green-eyed boy smiled slightly. Harry watched as his older cousin bounded through the people, causing some of them to send glares at him which, of course, went unnoticed.
"Well if it isn't Harry Potter." Abraxas pulled Harry into a hug.
Venus MacDermott had followed after Abraxas. Her face was covered in a light blue mask with white feathers dipping off the corners. Glitter surrounded the mask as did many different swirls in a darker blue and silver. The mask hid the designs that where permanently carved into her face in the form of a scar as did the gloves she wore which where a pristine white.
"How are you MacDermott?" Harry asked Venus to be polite.
"Everything has actually been going really well." Venus replied back.
"What are you doing over here all by yourself?" Abraxas asked as he tilted his head to the side. "Shouldn't Alphard or even Ignatius be over here with you?" His silver gray eyes watched the younger with a calculating look in the depths.
"I don't think Alphard is going to be showing up after what happened to his mother and Ignatius is out there dancing with Lucretia Black." Harry said before taking in Abraxas costume.
He was wearing a suit that was black just like his own, but instead of red decorating the fabric the buttons and garnishes where a dark and sparkling green. It glittered every time the lights from the chandeliers landed on him. Looking closer, Harry found that he could see a faint trace of blue in the black of his suit.
Abraxas frowned before turning his gaze back to the ball room. Masks where everywhere, coloring everyone's faces. Each one different then the next.
"It's okay, Braxi, I'm not feeling the ball anyway. I'm surprised actually that you and Venus are here. The Weasley's being 'blood traitors' and all."Harry said changing the subject.
"Father didn't approve of me coming here tonight, but he caved in when I kept insisting. You know, to keep face and all." Abraxas said smiling, but then just as the smile came, it left. "All the pure bloods have heard what happened to the Black family. The Black family are the most ancient of the pure bloods here and if Grindelwald attacked them, then nobody is safe."
"What do you think Grindelwald was trying to pull by attacking the Black family?" Harry asked Abraxas frowning.
"I don't know honestly. I think he's gone mad with power. He wants more allies, pure bloods. I think his followers are questioning his motives."
"I sure hope this ends soon. I mean it's madness." Venus commented.
"How's Pyrrhos?" Harry asked Abraxas, grinning at Abraxas annoyed look.
"Dad sent him back to his mother on the second day with us. Little prick that boy was. Aunt Marlene was not pleased, but she shouldn't have dumped the kid on us on the first place. Dad wasn't pleased with all the mind games that Pyrrhos was doing on the family."
Harry nodded absently as the two kept their conversation going.
Soon both Abraxas and Venus left Harry to go and mingle with other guests at this masquerade, leaving Harry once again alone by the pillars on the balcony. Harry sighed as he watched the mesmerizing colors of the faces of people. All different colors, each one unique from the rest. The boy found the movement hypnotizing as his eyes watched the feathers and ornaments on the designs flutter around. His mother walked up to him with a shimmering white dress. She was holding her mask up with a small stick, the delicate new appendage was laid with mother-of-pearl and it shined.
"Harry, sweetie, you look miserable. I'm sure one of your friends wouldn't mind dancing with you. Where's Aurora?" Valerie asked trying to look through the crow of people to see if she could pin point where Aurora Longbottom was.
"No, Mum. I'm fine. Go back out there and dance with Dad."
A hand suddenly touched Harry's shoulder and he spun around to see Alphard Black.
Alphard was wearing a black suit with matching pants and black business shoes. His mask was black like Harry's. His hair looked a tad bit spiky, it was gelled forward. Harry felt his heart beat quicken as he looked up at the thirteen year old who smirked down at him.
"Sorry I'm late..." Alphard said sheepishly. Then Alphard smirked at the boy before bowing at him like a gentleman. Unbeknownst to Harry, his mother had left the two alone to themselves.
"I... I didn't expect you to be here." Harry said stuttered, still surprised about Alphard's appearance.
Alphard grabbed Harry's hand and led him to the dance floor. "I figured as much when you didn't ask me to come with you. Quite offended by the way, but I guess the fact that you obviously haven't danced with anybody makes up for that."
"Would you like to dance with me?" Alphard asked as he straightened up. The look in his eyes were playful and childish.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Like I have a choice. Were already on the dance floor."
Alphard smirked again as he took Harry's hand in his own, leading him into the sea of masks.
The two were swept into the spinning of the crowd. Alphard led Harry through the steps. They twirled, the faces around them blurring into nothing as Harry concentrated on not making a fool of himself.
Life is always better with a smile,
smile you are beautiful.
The music changed once again but Alphard made a smooth transition into the new dance. Harry couldn't take his eyes away from Alphard as he led Harry through the steps.
"You were late." Harry joked as he stared into Alphard's eyes, silver clashing with emerald green. Alphard let another smirk spread across his features as he twirled Harry away from him then back into his arms.
"The weather is very bad outside." he said with a hint of amusement in it.
"Surely you used floo?"
"I decided to fly here on broom."
Harry decided to just take that answer and concentrated on the dance once again. The two danced in silence as the music twirled around their bodies. The other masks around them swirled in and out of his vision, the colors blurring into one once again.
"Al...thank you for coming." Harry whispered into Alphard's ear as the music turned to a waltz. "I know it must be difficult and uncomfortable for you to be here..." he said softly as he danced with Alphard more.
Alphard nodded but then smiled, "Harry... I- I would do anything for you, you know that."
"But your family-"
"Will still be there no matter how much I annoy them. I think... that my mothers' death has oddly brought me closer to my father. He's been... I don't know how to explain it. I would say over protective, but I'm not sure. He's definitely not disgusted with me as much as he was before." Alphard sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sadden about my mother's death, but to be perfectly honest, I did not love her. Which is horrible and a awful thing a son can say about their mother, but there you go."
Harry nodded in understanding. "It's okay Al. She wasn't a good mother to you. It's understandable."
Alphard pulled Harry into a hug. "For once in my life, I don't have to try to be happy. When I'm with you, it just happens." Alphard whispered in Harry's ear.
Harry pulled back slightly with the hint of a smile hovering around the corners of his mouth. "And I thought I was sappy."
"Well, you are," Alphard murmured, tightening his arm around Harry's waist as he slid the other up his back to thread through Harry's sky blue hair.
"Kiss me, please." Harry whispered back.
"Gladly." Alphard gently leaned in and kissed the smaller boy on the lips gently. The two parted and started to dance once again, now with more vigor and more life as they became a pair of masks in the sea of colors.
December 25, 1939
It was Christmas morning and for a family like the Potters, Christmas really was a day to spend together. Christmas morning was the one morning both Harry and Tom didn't mind being forcibly awoken from their slumber by Charlus.
Charlus barged into Harry and Tom's room and jumped up and down on Tom's bed.
"IT'S CHRISTMAS!"
Joxer, whom was sleeping on his wooden perched was immediately awoken by Charlus yell. He started chirping and flying around in the room. Hermes whom had been sleep on the edge of Harry's bed, started barking in excitement and wagging his tail. Harry groaned and put his pillow over his face.
"It's six in the bloody morning, Charlus." Tom said sighing. Harry could hear Tom rustling around, most likely putting on his pajama robes on and his slippers. "Be quite Hermes." Tom said to the now hyper dog.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Charlus said now jumping up and down on Harry's bed.
"You are off my Christmas list next year." Harry said groaning as he sat up and reached over to grab his glasses at his bedside table.
"Don't be a grump." Charlus said jumping off of Harry's bed and running out of their room and down the stairs, Hermes followed after Charlus.
"PRESENTS!"
Both Harry and Tom rolled their eyes at Charlus exclamation.
"Merry Christmas, Tom. Love you." Harry said hugging him before following after Charlus. Joxer flew after Harry and perched on his shoulder.
"Love you to." Tom said back following after Harry.
'What is love? How do you spell it?' Joxer telepathically asked Harry. Harry frowned wondering why a bird would want to know how to spell love.
'You don't spell love, you feel it. It's an intense feeling of deep affection. L-o-v-e' Harry said telepathically back to his phoenix.
'Do you love me?'
'You're my phoenix, you're apart of my life now, of course I love you.'
Joxer chirped happily.
"You know, Tom, I haven't seen Brice or Neil for awhile." Harry said once they came to the last step of the stairs.
Tom didn't say anything for awhile.
"Tom?" Harry asked frowning.
"Nagini ate them."
Harry gaped at Tom shock.
"I'm so, so, so very sorry, Harry...they were just garden snakes anyway..." To m said backing away from the furious look on Harry's face.
"Tom! How could you let that happen! Bloody hell!" Harry walked past Tom and headed into the living room.
"I'll make it up to you, I promise!" Tom said to Harry as soon as he caught up with his brother.
"I don't want to hear it." Harry said as Joxer flew off of Harry, feeling his anger. Harry went and sat next to Charlus in front of the tree just as Boniface and Valerie walked into the room.
"You don't want to hear what?" Charlus asked Harry. He was chowing down on some gingerbread cookies that he had gotten in one of his wrapped gifts.
"Nagini, ate my snake, both Brice and Neil." Harry said pissed off. "When you planning on telling me?" Harry asked Tom.
"I don't know... it just happened-" Tom said flustered.
"Harry, please, honey, calm down. We'll get you another pet snake." Valerie said trying to calm Harry down.
"I don't want another snake. I don't ever want to see another snake. Ever."
"Harry, Nagini sleeps in the same room as you. You're gonna see another snake." Charlus said pointing out the obvious.
"Well then I suppose I just have to move out, wont I? I'll move my things in the room up stairs. At least than I wont have to worry about any of my pets getting eaten by that snake." Harry said annoyed.
"Must you be so dramatic?" Tom asked him annoyed as well.
"You know what Tom, all you care about is yourself. You don't care how I feel about Nagini."
"And how do you feel about Nagini, Harry?" Tom challenged Harry.
"Is this going to be a traditional thing?" Charlus tried to joke.
"I think Nagini is a monster. I think that you would put that snake before me any time of day. And in fact, that's what I know, past, present, and future."
Tom was silent for awhile.
"Boys, let's just open presents and start over okay. Were all cranky and I'm sure hungry-" Valerie started but Tom interrupted
"I thought I was dead in your future?"
"It doesn't matter-"
"So I'm alive in your future? Why did you lie-"
"Just leave it alone. I don't want to talk about it, Tom."
"You know Nagini in the future, that's why you hate her so much? What could she have possibly done to you-"
"I SAID DROP IT!"
All the glass shattered in the room and the lights flickered and the palace shook with Harry's emotions.
Everybody was staring at Harry shocked at his outburst.
Harry breathed in heavily before storming back up the stairs and into his and Tom's room, slamming the door behind him.
"Okay. So... should I go see what's wrong with the brat?" Julius Bellamy had come through the fireplace just as Harry had stormed up the stairs and slammed the door behind him.
"Didn't I banish you from my home?" Boniface said half annoyed.
Julius just smirked. "Only your son can banish me." Julius said sticking his nose up in the air.
"Let's give Harry some alone time for now." Valerie said sighing. "Harry is going through a tough time it seems."
"I'm going outside."
"Tom it's freezing-"
"I need the air." Tom said leaving out the room before anybody could stop him.
Tom was upset and frustrated. Harry hated him. He had to. Harry had told both him and Charlus that they were dead in his future and then just now said that he, Tom, had put Nagini before him. Was Harry being dramatic or had he been a horrible Uncle to Harry in the future?
Tom went and sat on the wooden bench that was in their back yard and sat there in the freezing cold. Tom closed his eyes, and the words Harry had said flash before his eyes like lightning bolts. Tom is a master at reading between the lines, so words mean much more to him then some other sorry sot. He has to, must, get to the heart of what he was like in the future. Not only is it out of his own terrible curiosity, there is dread necessity in it.
"Thomas! Get out of the bloody freezing weather this instance!"
A/N Uh what to say... Well I won't be updating for a while, probably not till fall. Sorry guys. I'm really happy that there is actually people out there that read my story, that means a lot. I know I whine a lot that I don't get reviews, but it's only because if I don't see one, then I feel that nobody is actually reading it you know? I really do appreciate the vote of confidence, I love you all. I know that this might be a horrible way to end this chapter, but you know I'm just out of ideas for the moment and I'm sleep deprived. I hope you enjoyed what I wrote anyway. And yeah, once again, I did screw up on the spelling and no I'm not gonna fix :P