"Legerdemain"
"Chapter Twelve: The One with an Old Friend"
Lily was giddy.
She exited the Ministry of Magic to see Rayko waiting for her. She smiled so brightly at him that her cheeks began to ache. It was their first official date out in public as a couple. She couldn't be happier. He held out his arm to her and she took it without hesitation. They walked arm in arm down the streets of Muggle London without a care in the world.
They entered a little Muggle restaurant and waited to be seated. Lily hung on Rayko's arm and attempted to kiss his cheek. Even in her heels, she could only manage to just barely brush her lips against his jaw. He grinned down at her, giving her hand a little squeeze.
They followed the hostess through the restaurant. Lily did a double take when she saw a bushy head of curly red locks. She paused in their stride. Rose Weasley looked upset with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes glancing down at her wristwatch.
"Rosie!" Lily shouted and waved.
Rose glanced up and over at her cousin before her eyes wandered over to Rayko. Lily quickly gestured to the table next to Rose's and the hostess nodded before setting the menus down. Rose just frowned at them.
"What are you doing here?" Rose hissed.
"I'm having dinner with my boyfriend. Rosie, this is Ko. Ko, this is my cousin Rosie," Lily introduced them as she waved her hand between the two.
Rayko and Rose exchanged pleasantries. Lily narrowed her eyes at her cousin as though trying to decipher a puzzle. Rose was an odd one, more like her mother than her father. Lily didn't quite understand her sense of humor or her taste in men.
"What are you doing here?" Lily pressed.
"I'm meeting my boyfriend," Rose replied.
"Oh, that's… lovely," Lily forced herself to say as she turned toward Rayko. "He's so… divine."
Rose rolled her eyes. "I know you hate him, Lily. There's no need to pretend."
"I don't hate him, Rose," Lily lied. "He's just not my idea of a good time."
"Well, you may be in luck, this is the third time he's stood me up," Rose said bitterly. "No mirror call, no Patronus, no nothing. I just get some crappy apology about how work is hectic."
"Gastrell can cast a Patronus? Really?"
Rose shot her a glare. Lily winced. Now was not the time apparently to question Gastrell's magical abilities.
"Well, your dad is an Auror. You know it's not a nine-to-five kind of job," Lily reasoned. "Is he working a big case?"
Rose frowned. "He's a liaison to the Hit Wizards… who are looking for Albus."
Lily sucked in a breath, her lips twitching down. She wasn't about to make a scene in a Muggle restaurant. Honestly, fighting with Roxanne and Fred was enough for her. While she and Rose had never been particularly close, she didn't want to widen that gap between them especially since Uncle Ron and her dad were best mates and Uncle Ron had been doing everything in his power to help Albus.
"I see," Lily settled on saying, her lips pursing.
"Look, I know, Lily," Rose sighed. "We've fought about it already, numerous times. I don't think Albus is guilty and obviously I side with Uncle Harry on the matter that Uncle George was wrong. I don't need you gloating."
"I wasn't going to gloat," Lily replied with a frown. "I never gloat."
"Sure," Rose snapped.
Lily bit down her annoyance. She couldn't recall a time she had gloated to Rose. They just didn't normally interact much because she had been truly awful to Albus the first couple of years they were at Hogwarts because he had been sorted into Slytherin.
"Uh, excuse me, I'm sorry," a new male voice rang out and saved Lily from having to force herself to be any nicer than she wanted to be.
Lily looked up to see a very gangly shorter man with mousy brown hair standing between the two tables. He looked sheepishly down at Rose, his hand rubbing the back of his flushed neck. He sent her a smile of pearly whites.
"I, uh, I'm Colin," he said. "Are you, err, I'm sorry I never do this. This is my first time being set up. Are you Elizabeth?"
Rose's brow furrowed. "No, no, I'm Rose."
"Oh," Colin said, disappointment evident in his voice. "I'm sorry. I was supposed to meet a woman named Elizabeth here. She was described as a pretty redhead. Well, err, I just… you're the prettiest redhead here."
Lily felt slightly offended, her jaw dropping open. She snapped her attention to Rayko who smiled at her and leaned across the table to grab her hand into his.
"You're my gorgeous redhead," he said in a low voice. "I'll prove it to you later when I make you scream my name."
Lily's lips curved as she crossed her legs tightly under the table. Screw their first real date. She was ready to skip straight to dessert.
"I'm sorry, I'm not Elizabeth," Rose said, her voice slightly higher and girlish.
Colin bit his lip. "You look familiar though. Have we met?"
Lily's eyes widened slightly when Colin took a seat across from Rose. He didn't look like the type of guy who would be bold enough to just claim the seat across from a girl at a restaurant when she was clearly waiting for someone. She already liked him better than Gastrell.
"I'm not sure," Rose replied.
"What do you do?"
"I, uh, work at a bank," she replied.
Colin tapped his fingers on the table, his eyes narrowing. "Do you do business accounts?"
"I, uh, well, yeah, I do…" Rose said slowly. "I help manage business accounts."
"Blimey!" Colin smiled widely. "Do you work for…" Colin lowered his voice. "Gringotts?"
Rose blinked. Lily held her breath and turned towards Rayko. What were the bloody odds?
"Yes," Rose said slowly.
"I must have seen you there!" Colin exclaimed, an over abundant amount of excitement evident in his voice. "I manage my business through there! I own a magical creatures' vet clinic in Diagon Alley! Colin's Caring Creatures! I'm Colin Creevey!"
"Oh! You're Colin Creevey? I've seen your office before," Rose said with a smile. "I've actually been thinking about adopting a dog. Do you… have any suggestions of where I could find one in need of a good home?"
"No, she hasn't," Lily whispered to Rayko.
Rose cleared her throat, side-eyeing Lily briefly before turning her attention back to Colin.
"I do! I have a lot of connections with some magical rescues! Um… do you want to go somewhere else and chat? We can grab something from a food truck and maybe walk down to the rescue in Diagon Alley."
"I'd love to."
Rose threw more than enough money onto the table to cover her drink before she rose from her seat. Colin followed her, a wide smile never leaving his face. He turned and caught Lily's eye and shifted.
"Err, hello there," Colin greeted. "You're not Elizabeth, are you?"
"No, I'm Lily," she introduced herself.
"Phew, good. Look, I was never here. I mean, obviously you two are the only redheads in the place so I must have been stood up!" Colin said cheerfully. "Have a great night."
He held out his arm for Rose who took it. They walked out of the restaurant together. Lily looked across the table at Rayko, her mouth hanging open.
"Did that just really happen?" Lily asked. "There's just… that was quick. Do you think they already knew each other? Like it was some sort of sex game they were playing?"
Rayko laughed. "Sex game?"
"Yeah, like the whole oh, hello, who are you? bit where they pretend not to know each other and then shag each other's brains out after?" Lily asked. "That seemed way too… familiar. Koko! She's cheating on Gastrell! She doesn't want anyone to know! He must have picked up on that!"
"Or maybe it wasn't some sort of sex game and they really did just meet," Rayko reasoned.
"It was definitely a sex game," Lily concluded.
"Are you randy right now?" Rayko whispered, his eyes shining with amusement.
"Look, the potions Healer Patil gave me make me not want to throw up my organs anymore. Not throwing up all the time has me quite… randy," Lily replied, her eyes squinting behind her glasses. "Can we skip dinner and go straight to having sex?"
Rayko laughed. "Are you ill? Do we need to go to St. Mungo's? Lily Potter wanting to skip food? Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"
"You're right, that's stupid of me. I'm just going to get really hangry and then sex will be ruined," Lily agreed and threw up her hands. "Can we play some sordid sex game some time, though? We meet in a dark alley, you say you're going to ravish me, I protest, you sweep me off my feet, we fuck somewhere semi-public?"
"Elle, I'm going to ask you to stop talking or else this entire restaurant is going to see me take you on top of this table," Rayko said in a husky voice. "I'm already pitching an impressive tent over here."
"Do you want to order food and then have a quickie in the loo?" Lily asked, biting her thumb and smirking.
"You're going to be the bloody death of me," Rayko whispered.
"I can't tell if that's a yes or a no, Mr. Krum."
Rayko didn't have time to reply as their waitress stopped by the table to get their order. They ordered quickly and Lily shot Rayko a look. He shifted in his chair before he nodded his head in the direction of the loos.
Lily bit her lip. Merlin, was she really going to do this? She stood up first and made her way down the hall. She'd just closed the bathroom door behind her when the knuckle rap had her opening it. The look in his eyes made desire shoot through her. She took an automatic step back as he stepped inside, kicking the door closed behind him. With his eyes on hers, he turned the lock and Lily was pretty sure she'd never been so randy in her entire life.
Rayko pushed her up against the tiled wall, his hands on her hips and when she lifted her right leg, his palm grasped it. Lily didn't waste any more time, she worked on unbuckling his belt as he pushed up her skirt, his hand sliding over her thigh before his fingers pushed her knickers aside. Rayko's lips curved as she fumbled with his belt and his fingers simply slid into her. It only took a few strokes for her to start to lose her mind.
She bit her lip to keep from screaming out as his fingers worked her. She fumbled with the damn belt, unable to concentrate on getting the blasted thing off as he brought her closer and closer. When she finally succeeded, his fingers left her just long enough to help her push down his trousers and boxers.
Someone pounded on the door, asking if anyone was using the loo. Lily cried out that she would be out in a minute, a moan escaping her lips as Rayko's mouth met hers only a moment before he pushed into her. Lily gripped his shoulders desperately as he wrapped her legs around his waist and used the wall for support. Her hands dug into his hair as her back slammed into the tile again and again. She felt nothing but the pleasure of him and when she finally came, he covered her cries with his mouth.
Lily made a strangled sound in her throat as he slowly lowered her to the ground. "Damn. You're even incredible for a quickie."
Rayko shot her an amused grin as he tugged up his trousers and boxers before fixing his belt. "It helps when my woman is so needy."
Lily hit his arm as she fixed her skirt, adjusting her knickers back into place. She was much too pleased with herself to make a comment on that.
When they exited the loo, a couple of older ladies looked at them and shook their heads. Lily didn't care. She just smiled and, with a skip to her step, made her way back to their table.
Dinner was a more mundane affair as they acted like a real couple as they ate and talked about boring stuff like work and their families, though the topic of Albus was completely off limits. If she even thought about Albus on the run, it made her heart ache. She knew she'd have to face reality soon enough, knew that she'd have to start to talk more openly about Albus, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She wanted to be happy and stress-free.
After dinner, Rayko Apparated them back to his flat in Knightsbridge. They changed into their pajamas, brushed their teeth, and collapsed onto their bed. The wireless played the latest Quidditch match between Holyhead and Puddlemere.
"I had a lot of fun," Rayko commented as he ran his fingers through Lily's long hair.
Turning her head, she pressed a kiss to his bare chest. "Hmm, me too. It was nice actually sharing a meal out."
Propping herself up onto her elbow, she looked down at Rayko. She traced his bottom lip with her thumb. There was no more hiding, no more secret dating, nothing except taking their relationship to the next level. It was fast, she understood that, but it just felt right. Both of their families seemed to be getting used to the idea that they were together and happy.
She blinked down at him as his hand cupped her cheek. There was a big part of her that wanted to start introducing each other to their friends. She wanted to know more about Nolan, the mysterious man who had appeared at St. Mungo's, and the man named Wes that had gone from friend to enemy. It was hard to broach the topic with him since all of her friends seemed to be relatives. She had quickly realized that she mainly hung out with her cousins, brothers, Scorpius, and sisters-in-laws. She didn't really have friends from Hogwarts she kept in close contact with and didn't meet up with colleagues outside of work. She wasn't like Rayko who had a separate friend system so she couldn't start the trend by inviting him out with hers.
"I love you," he whispered.
Lily smiled. "I love you too."
"What's on your mind? You look very deep in thought."
"We've met each other's parents and siblings. You're going to meet my entire extended family at the next Friday night dinner. I think I'd like to meet your friends. We can go out with Nolan and whoever else."
Rayko's brow furrowed. "Nolan's really my only friend and you've met him."
"Ko… what is it you're not telling me about your friends?" Lily whispered. "I feel like you're hiding something."
"My friends are prats and arses. It just took me a while to realize that. I'm ashamed I was ever friends with them," Rayko replied. "I just… the last people I want you to meet are the people I can't even stand to be in the same room with. Can we not talk about them right now? They're meaningless, a blip of my past."
"Okay, but maybe Nolan could-"
Rayko tugged her face down towards him, his soft lips brushing against hers, stopping her from talking. She was powerless to fight his charm, worries and questions quickly slipping from her mind. There was just Rayko and his hard chest beneath her palm and his tongue gliding across her lips. Lost in pure ecstasy, her mind a pleasant buzz of desire.
She straddled him, his hands pushing up her thin vest. Their lips broke away for mere seconds to rid her body of the cumbersome clothing before their lips crashed back against each other like parched lips finding water. He made her feel things that no one else had ever made her feel. She had always believed in soul mates, had seen enough of them in her family to make her believe that true love existed, but she had never felt it until him. All other men paled in comparison to Rayko Krum.
His thumb brushed against her breast, pinching and tugging. Her breath hitched as his arms wrapped around her and gently rolled her off him. He loomed above her, his lips brushing along her neck and jaw. She squirmed beneath him, her desire building fast. His mouth and tongue made their way down her body, stopping on her breasts for a few extra moments of attention.
"Koko," she moaned, her head thrown back on the pillow and her chest arching up to meet his eager lips.
Lower he went, peppering kisses down her belly before he found her. He tugged at her lacy purple knickers and she lifted her hips without hesitation. When she parted her legs to allow him to settle between them, he pressed a finger into her as he ducked his head. Rayko's tongue fluttered against her as her hands gripped his hair to hold him steady.
A moan escaped her lips, her hips bucking involuntarily as a flash of silver caught her eye. She frowned, her breath hitching as Rayko's tongue did something that made her cry out incoherently. A little jackrabbit jumped over Rayko's head a second time, but he was too preoccupied swirling his tongue against her to even notice. The rabbit hopped over her stomach and Rayko's fingers slid in deeper.
"Lily, stop whatever you're doing," Teddy's voice boomed from the jackrabbit as it jumped over Rayko's head again.
Rayko jumped, his tongue slipping out of her, his fingers stilling inside of her. He threw his arms around her to cover her, an arm rising up to cover her breasts. His eyes darted around as if looking for her brother before his eyes narrowed on the jackrabbit hopping in circles around them on the bed.
"What the fuck is happening?"
"It's a Patronus, Koko," Lily explained. "He can't see us!"
The jackrabbit jumped over Rayko's head once more.
"Dad, Jamie, and Albus have been arrested," Teddy's voice said from the rabbit. "Mum went to the Ministry. I'm at the hospital with Remus. Can you give me updates?"
Lily's chest heaved as Rayko withdrew himself from her. The jackrabbit disappeared as Rayko sat up in bed and carded his fingers through his dark hair. Her throat narrowed as she bolted up in bed and looked around the floor for her bra and knickers. Should she go to the Ministry? Go home to wait for her mum to return? Run to the bank for bail money? She had no idea what to do.
She snatched her knickers off the floor and shoved her legs in. Rayko was looking around for his own clothes and sniffed a t-shirt before shoving it on over his head. They dressed quickly as Lily grabbed her lilac heels before Rayko grabbed her wrist. She stilled, her eyes glancing up to meet his. He tucked a strand of wild hair behind her ear.
"It'll be all right," he whispered.
Lily nodded. "Why… why would they arrest my dad and Jamie?"
"I don't know," Rayko replied with a sigh. "Just tell me where you want to go and I'll Apparate us. I don't want you going alone."
Lily sucked in a breath and wiped her fingers underneath her eyes. "My parents' house. We'll wait for my mum there."
Rayko's hand cupped the back of her head and tugged her close. His lips pressed against her forehead and her eyes slid closed. She felt tears running down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around Rayko's waist. He just held her for a few moments as her body trembled with sobs. Every time she thought that things were getting better, something worse seemed to happen. She couldn't imagine going through any of this without Rayko by her side. She clutched him tighter and he kissed the top of her head.
They needed to get to her mum and figure out what the bloody hell was going on.
Harry sat on the uncomfortable mattress in a Ministry of Magic holding cell with his head in his hands. He knew there was a big possibility that he and James would be arrested, knew that it had been a necessary evil in order to try to get some information out of Albus before he went to Azkaban. He knew there was a good chance that he'd be allowed to see Albus while he awaited trial, but he didn't want to leave that to chance. He needed to come face to face with Albus and hear directly from him.
He had wanted to scream and throw something when Albus had uttered the name Draco Malfoy. He couldn't believe that out of all the people Albus had confided in, Malfoy had been the one he went running to. Not a sibling, not a parent, not an uncle or aunt, not a grandparent. Draco fucking Malfoy. Why? Why him? What was Harry supposed to do with that information? Did Albus want him to walk onto Malfoy's blasted peacock farm and beg for his help?
He'd rather drown than ask Draco Malfoy for a life raft let alone ask the man to help his son. He never understood how anyone as sweet and loving as Scorpius had ever come from that stupid ferret! Harry sucked in a breath and started to count to one hundred in his head. Getting himself worked up wasn't going to help anything.
"Do you think they're interrogating Albus?"
Harry looked over at the cell next to his to see James pacing back and forth along the bars. Rubbing his palms on his trousers, Harry sat up straighter.
"No, he'll already be in Azkaban," Harry replied.
"Why? How come? Why aren't we in Azkaban? Do you think we're going to Azkaban?" James asked, his eyes wide and limbs jumpy. "I mean, I've been to jail before, but that was Muggle jail. This is like real jail."
Harry stared at his son for a few moments.
"They've already charged Albus," Harry explained in a calm voice. "They haven't charged us with anything. In fact, Reed's probably figuring out what he could charge us with to keep us here."
"Why aren't they formally charging us with anything?" James asked as he gripped the bars between their two cells.
"Because how would that look?" Harry asked. "They know how to play this, Jamie. Albus has always been made out to be the outcast, painted as the black sheep of the Potter family. He's antisocial, grumpy, mysterious, and a Slytherin. He's easy to paint as a villain in the eyes of the media. Then, there's you. An Auror who is brave. You always smile at the cameras, you have a cute kid, you've always been the golden boy of the press. Me? They can paint me as a moody arsehole all they want, and they have over the years. Except they can't deny that I killed Lord Voldemort, that I've spent my entire adult life catching criminals. Short of saying that I'm the next Dark Lord, which at this point, I wouldn't even put past them… they have nothing on me that will stick with the public. You and I can't be made into scapegoats for this, but unfortunately Albus can."
"That stuff you said to Reed, do you really know what's going on? Is Reed really covering up who was behind the explosions?"
Harry laughed. "I had an inkling he was involved. His face said it all when I tested out my theory."
"How do you do that? Just know things?" James asked.
"I don't know," Harry answered with a sigh. "I just… I trust my gut, I suppose."
Harry heard footsteps. He stood up from the crappy camp bed and made his way over to the bars. He shoved his arms through the bars and grabbed his wrist to wait for whoever was coming. He hoped it was Reed. He had quite a few things he'd like to say to the man.
Except it wasn't Reed. It was Demelza escorting Ginny towards the holding cells. Harry locked eyes with her. Her eyes were dark in anger and he sighed. She knew this was a possibility, she had to have but the look on her face said otherwise.
Ginny and Demelza stopped short of the jail cells. Harry let go of his wrist to grasp Ginny's hand. He squeezed her fingers, attempting to reassure her that everything would be all right.
"This is new," Ginny whispered. "You've been in a lot of precarious positions over the years, Harry, but you've never been to jail."
Harry scowled at his wife. "I did what I had to do."
"Oh, I have no doubt about that," Ginny replied with a sigh. "Ron is hollering at Reed right now on your behalf, goading him to charge you publicly."
"He won't charge me with anything," Harry insisted, his eyebrows raising above his glasses.
"How do you know that?"
"Because what does he have, Gin?" Harry asked. "What evidence does he have that I've been helping Albus run? What evidence does he even have on Albus besides hearsay? Reed has nothing."
"Then tell me why I've been told Albus has already been taken to Azkaban?" Ginny asked quietly.
"They're charging him. They had always planned on charging him," Harry explained. "They haven't charged James and I with anything yet."
"You're a prat, Harry, you know that?" Demelza interrupted. "You bloody well knew the Hit Wizards were following you and James."
"I did," Harry admitted. "I needed to speak to Albus before anyone else."
"Was it worth it?" Ginny asked. "Did he tell you anything?"
"We'll talk at home, Gin," Harry replied.
"I can't help you if you don't talk to me, Harry," Demelza said.
Harry glanced over at his friend as Albus' words replayed in his head.
"I can't, Dad, they'll bury you. You're the Head of the DMLE. They'll make sure you look implicated. You have no idea what they're plotting."
"I'm good," Harry replied.
Demelza rolled her eyes at him. "Like father, like son, eh?"
Harry only shrugged. "How soon until I get out of here? Am I being held the entire forty-eight hours?"
"Your husband and Reed are having a pretty intense cock fight right now, so who the bloody hell knows?" Demelza said, causing Harry to scowl at the nickname for Ron.
Harry sighed, his eyes glancing over at Ginny. Her eyes were closed, a frown etched deep on her face. He squeezed her hand, but she pulled her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Gin…"
"Just stop, Harry, all right? I can't … I can't do this right now."
"What's wrong?"
Ginny let out a bitter laugh. "What's wrong? Are you kidding me right now? What isn't wrong, Harry? Our grandson that I failed to protect is in the hospital right now! Or how about the fact that I'm supposed to take our granddaughter for the night who is crying for her mum to put her to bed, but her mum's not there because her son's in the bloody hospital! Or how about the fact that I have a daughter pregnant by a man she just met! And don't even get me started on how wrong it is that my husband and two of my sons are currently behind bars."
"I know everything seems to be spiraling out of control right now-"
"Did you know? Did you plan this?"
Harry blinked. "Plan what?"
"Albus to be arrested. You told me we were being followed. You planned on finding him first, you planned on him being arrested."
It wasn't a question. Harry withdrew his forearms from the bars and gripped the metal. His jaw clenched as he stared at his wife.
"Albus is the only one who had answers," Harry replied.
"So you wanted him arrested?" Ginny yelled. "What if we can't prove he's innocent? What if he is convicted for life in prison?"
"That's not going to happen," Harry said in a low, hard voice. "The evidence is there, I just have to piece it together!"
"You don't know that!" Ginny shouted.
"What? Him running and starving and living in the shadows was better?" Harry challenged. "At least in Azkaban, we can talk to him and we can help him! We couldn't help him when he was on the run!"
"Harry, just because everything has always worked out for you in the past has seriously given you some delusions on how the world works," Ginny said in a dangerously low voice. "Albus has always been smeared by the press. He's not a hero in the media like you were. He's not envied. He's being used as a scapegoat. His image is being twisted and manipulated. You can't even see that."
"You don't think that my image hasn't been twisted and manipulated over the years?" Harry asked with a scoff. "I know better than anyone what it's like when the media sets out on a smear campaign!"
"So you're throwing Albus right into the fire!" Ginny hissed. "There's going to be an arraignment! His demeanor in court will be scrutinized, analyzed, and crafted into something it's not. You know Albus, he's not going to be able to play the part he needs to play. He's stoic and quiet and he will look guilty up there! He's kind and sweet and his heart is so big and no one will see that! No one will understand that it's not him! That he's not capable of it! They've put our baby in Azkaban, Harry, and you don't even care!"
Harry's chest heaved. Ginny was wrong. It wouldn't come to that. Facts would prevail over some fabricated truth, Harry knew that from experience. He just needed to get out of the Ministry holding cell and pay a visit to Draco Malfoy. He shuddered inwardly. The last person he wanted to go to was Draco fucking Malfoy but he was starting to think it was his only option. Harry couldn't deny that Malfoy had taken a liking to Albus, maybe that would mean something. He just needed to make Ginny understand that.
"Of course, I care, Gin! I'm doing this to keep him safe. Would you just trust me?" Harry snapped. "When have I ever not fixed things?"
Ginny sighed, scrubbing her hands over her tired face. Harry bit back his irritation. She was stressed. He was stressed. They were all stressed. Sucking in a breath, he counted to ten to attempt to calm himself down. Ginny was not the enemy.
"I'll be out soon," he said, his voice softer yet still on edge. "I'll fix this, Ginny. I promise."
Ginny nodded, her eyes locking with his. "I'm going to see if they'll let me talk to Albus."
"They should clear you unless he's still being processed," Harry assured her. "It'll be all right, Gin."
Ginny offered a half-hearted smile before she turned her attention to James. Harry honestly forgot his son was even in the cell next to him. Ginny stepped up to the bars and reached through them to grab James' hand.
"Are you all right, Jamie?" Ginny asked.
"I'm, you know, slightly freaking out that I'll go to Azkaban for simply existing at this point and become a bottom to some very large and intimidating wizard and not even a power bottom, just a bottom bottom, but other than that I'm fucking fantastic."
Ginny blinked. "Jamie…"
"I'm good, Mum. I'm… do you think Albus would have enough street cred blowing up the Ministry to save me in prison?"
"Jamie," Harry interrupted. "You're not going to Azkaban."
"I'm just preparing myself for the worst-case scenario," James replied. "I'm what would be referred to as a pretty boy. Um, so, yeah. Look at my freckles and my cute little toosh and tell me that I'll be all right in prison, because I just don't see it!"
"You're not going to prison, Jamie, your dad is right, there's nothing they have on you," Ginny said, squeezing his hand.
"You know, James, you would definitely not survive prison," Demelza said, her eyes twinkling. "Those freckles, those big innocent brown eyes… yup, you'd be a goner."
"Thank you!" James shouted. "The toosh, Demelza, it's pinchable."
Demelza shrugged. "I've never quite had the urge myself but to some large wizard named Blade or Axel… yeah. Maybe."
"You're not helping, Demelza," snapped Harry.
"It will all get sorted out, darling, just try to breathe," Ginny said in a soft tone. "Remember when you were little and you'd get all worked up and we'd breathe together? Would you like to do that right now?"
"Yes, Mum! Of course, I would! I've only been silently asking for it since you grabbed my hand!"
Ginny grabbed both of James' hands in hers. Harry rolled his head back and listened to them breathing deeply and holding their breaths for several seconds before exhaling. Maybe bringing James along was a bad idea. Their breathing went on for several long minutes. Harry was convinced it could have been an hour. His jaw clenched as he stared at his family, his head shaking.
When they finally stopped, Ginny smiled at him. "I told you that you should join Fleur, Riley, Scorpius, and I at yoga on Sunday mornings. It would really help you."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Can we focus on the real problems right now? James is not going to prison. We will be held for forty-eight hours and then released when Reed can't charge us with anything."
"Feel better?" Ginny asked, and Harry felt like they were ignoring him.
"Yes, all right, I'll go to yoga with you, but on a weekend that Lily doesn't go. I know she's flaky about going, but she would never let me hear the end of it if I went!" James agreed.
"If Lily pokes fun, she will be in a world of hurt," Ginny assured him.
"You would hurt a pregnant lady for me?" James asked. "Mum, I'm touched. I take it back, Dad's not my favorite. You are."
"I'd knew it'd happen eventually."
Harry suppressed a groan.
"Come on, Ginny," Demelza said. "I'll go with you to see if we can't get you to Albus now that pretty bottom boy over there is calmer."
"Fuck you too, Demelza!" James snapped, holding up two fingers.
Harry watched as they went, relief flooding him. He would finally have time to just think. He collapsed down onto the camp bed and threw his forearm over his eyes. Follow the money. What did that even mean? Harry sucked in a deep breath, his mind flying with possibilities. He knew he just needed a little bit of time and he'd be able to work it all out. He had a good forty hours left of nothingness. Surely, he could work out a decent chunk of it by then.
Maybe he could even do it without having to deal with Malfoy. Harry had a feeling that would be too good to be true.
Albus stood in front of a white wall with a height chart. He held a little sign with his name, prison number, and the date on it. His lips twitched as the camera flashed and he was instructed to turn. He obeyed because what else could he do? He licked his bottom lip, wondering where his dad and James were.
They had been separated when they reached the Ministry of Magic. Albus had gone in the direction of the fireplace in the corner of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement while his dad and James went in the opposite direction. He had taken the boat ride surrounded by Aurors. It had been uncomfortably silent, no one daring to speak to him.
After pictures, the sign was snatched from his hands and he was steered to a small room. He was instructed to strip and Albus held up his cuffed hands in front of him.
"Little hard to strip like this," Albus commented.
An Azkaban guard stepped forward and grabbed his wrist roughly. He jabbed his wand at the cuffs and they slipped off.
"No funny business," the guard said gruffly.
"Oh yeah, because having six Aurors and two guards in the room really has me wanting to try my luck," Albus replied dryly.
"Clothes off. Now."
Albus reached down to unbuckle his belt, his head shaking. He slowly undressed, his mind reeling with how the hell he was he supposed to survive in Azkaban. If he thought living on the run was hard, living in a prison filled with his dad's and brother's enemies was going to be damn near impossible.
Albus soon stood in just his boxer briefs, his arms crossed over his chest as a guard checked all of the pockets of his clothes. His wallet, wand, and a few sweet wrappers were all boxed up in front of him.
"Boxers off too," a guard told him.
Albus sneered, sucking in a deep breath, before he bared it all for the room. He tried to cup himself to maintain some modesty.
"Hands behind your head," the guard said. "Interlock your fingers."
Albus scowled as he jerked his arms up above his head and flushed a deep Weasley red as the room gaped at him.
"Galloping gargoyles!" a guard shouted. "Look at that!"
Albus closed his eyes, his hands almost jerking down to cover himself again but he didn't really feel like getting into trouble within the first five minutes he had been in jail. He turned around when instructed. A warmness flushed through his lower body, making him jump.
"Fuck!" Albus hissed. "You know, I like to be wined and dined before I get buggered but if I'm being honest, I prefer to do the buggering."
"We're checking you for contraband, you little shit," the guard snapped.
"Could have fooled me!" Albus snapped. "Felt like the lubrication spell."
"Turn around and put on some clothes!"
Albus covered himself up before turning around. A prison outfit was thrown at his feet. Albus suppressed a groan as he bent down slowly to grab the uniform. He scowled when he saw the pair of tighty whities, but pulled them on regardless. He adjusted himself quickly, finding the underwear had little give before he pulled up the striped trousers and tied them.
"You'll find that your day will be extremely structured. You do what we tell you when we tell you," the guard explained. "You will be told when to wake up, when to eat, when to shower, when to go to the bathroom, and when to sleep. This isn't a little holiday."
"That's good, because I forgot to pack my swim trunks," Albus said as he pulled the striped shirt over his head.
"Do you have any questions?" the guard asked loudly.
"Yeah, where can I get a wicked prison tattoo?"
The guard grabbed him by the upper arm and dragged him out of the room. Albus turned around to see the Aurors whispering amongst themselves. He distinctly heard the phrases what a fucking arsehole! Did you see how massive he was? No wonder he wasn't hiding anything in his trousers, that thing took up all of the space! What a prick just like his dad! And other comments were being thrown around as they snatched Albus' personal effects from the table.
The guard shoved Albus into his cell and slammed the door closed behind him. It was already dark out, the moon shining through the small window at the top of his cell. He sank down onto the lumpy and hard mattress, his eyes adjusting to the dark. His heart pounded in his chest as he allowed the fear to settle deep within his chest. He let out a shaky breath and tried to calm his nerves.
This was it. He was in fucking Azkaban. A prisoner.
He had really stepped into it this time.
Teddy sighed as he stretched his legs out in front of him, his body twisting to alleviate some of the pins and needles that had settled into his bottom and upper thighs from sitting in an uncomfortable chair for so damn long.
Remus slept in the bed before him. The dark bruises under his eyes had spread down his cheeks and across his nose. His lips were so pale that he couldn't tell where his lips actually began. He looked so small in the hospital bed, so fragile and innocent. None of the potions Scorpius had tried seemed to do the trick. They were just managing the poison, the infection, whatever the fuck it was. The potions were just barely keeping him alive. They had started the phage treatments, but Scorpius had failed to find a virus capable of taking on the Inferius infection.
Victoire slept on the small sofa under the window. She barely ate, surviving on caffeine and tears. Even in her sleep, he could see the small trail of tears escaping her eyes. Teddy felt like he had no tears left to cry, his mind and body just numb with horror and shock and grief.
A soft knock drew Teddy's attention away from his sleeping family. He rose from his chair and tiptoed over to the door. He opened it to see his sister and her boyfriend standing there with even more caffeine and pasties. Teddy tried to smile at them but his brain couldn't get his lips to work. Instead, he gestured for them to step out of the room and he gratefully grabbed one of the steaming cups of coffee.
"They're both sleeping," Teddy explained as they wandered down the corridor to a small waiting room with nobody inside.
"It's fine. We wanted to see Remus and give you an update."
"What's going on with Dad and our moronic brothers?" Teddy asked as he collapsed into the nearest sofa before he took a big gulp of the hot liquid.
"Well, according to Mum, Dad knew that they would be arrested and risked it anyway so he could talk to Albus. Jamie was freaking out about prison and Dad was just annoyed by it all. Mum tried to see Albus but they wouldn't let her, so she's cuddling Dora at home right now. I stopped by the Auror Department and talked to Hunter who said that Reed has nothing against Dad and Jamie to charge them and he heard whispers that he was going to release them sooner rather than later to avoid the press finding out."
"Why would Reed care if the press found out?" Teddy questioned.
"How would it look?" Rayko answered, his eyes dark. "The Potters are practically wizarding royalty. The Ministry has arrested not one but three of them, one of them who is considered just as revered as Merlin. It could put their entire investigation against Albus at risk, because nobody would believe he was guilty if they were trying to also implicate the bloody Vanquisher."
Teddy blinked. He supposed that made sense. He merely nodded before he took another sip of his coffee and felt his throat and tongue burn. Lily took a seat next to him and she grasped his free hand in both of hers.
"We are going to get through this," Lily said, her voice not even wavering in the slightest. "We are the Potters and Lupins. We are fucking legends. Nobody can beat us down."
Teddy's lips twitched just slightly. "Nobody can stay untouchable forever, Lils."
Lily cocked her head to the side. "Where is my confidant and reassuring brother gone?"
"He left and locked himself away the moment his son nearly died on a procedure table," Teddy answered honestly. "I'm so scared, Lils. I can't lose him. He's just… he's so little and innocent and so…"
Lily squeezed his hand. "Koko, can you go sit with Remus and Victoire and let them know we'll be in shortly if they wake up after Teddy and I have a chat?"
"Of course," Rayko replied before pecking Lily on top of her head and clapping Teddy on the shoulder.
Once he was gone, Lily turned her full attention to Teddy and forced him to look at her. He felt his throat narrow when he looked at his little sister. He wasn't used to her or any of their brothers comforting him. He did the comforting. He was supposed to be the big brother.
Teddy sucked in a breath. "I feel like an awful parent."
There. He said it. The thought that had been swirling around in his mind since Remus had been admitted to the hospital.
"Why? How? You've barely left Remus' side since he's been admitted," Lily reasoned as she scooted closer to him and squeezed his hand.
"I haven't been there for Dora. She's been shuffled from Mum and Dad's, to Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur's, to Grandmum Molly and Granddad's, to Grandmum Andy and Hugh's…" Teddy sighed. "She must be so confused."
"First off, Dora is one. Mum, Aunt Fleur, and our grandmothers are like her favorite people in the entire world. Granddad makes her laugh with his telly in his Muggle shed, Uncle Bill let's her scribble makeup all over his face, Grandpa Hugh does those puppets she loves so much, and Dad… well, she's like the only kid in the history of the world not to like Dad but he can't be everyone's favorite."
"Lily…" Teddy trailed off, his heart twisting in his chest.
"She's fine," Lily insisted. "She won't remember any of this. Remus will. Remus needs you. Dora's off having a fun family holiday. She's sofa surfing like her favorite aunt!"
Teddy blinked down at Lily, tears welling in his eyes. He bent down to rest his head on her shoulder, her hand immediately carded through his dark hair just like their mum always did. Her free hand rubbed his bicep as she held him close.
"You're going to make a really great mum," Teddy choked out.
"Damn right I am!" Lily replied. "You're going to be a kickass uncle again and Remus is going to be my little helper with the new baby. We're going to be insanely happy and normal and boring in a few months."
"Merlin, Lils, I hope you're right."
Lily pressed a kiss to the top of Teddy's head. "I'm always right."
Teddy let out a watery chuckle and allowed Lily to hold him for a few more moments. He closed his eyes, feeling her comfort wash over him. He loved his family and he had to stay positive. Everything would work out in the end. He had to believe that.
James didn't sleep a wink. He had paced his cell the entire night and couldn't help but scowl at his father who seemed to be sleeping in the cell next to him. He had slipped from concerned to completely panicked after his mother and Demelza left and the lights went out. Nobody else came by to see them and his father didn't even seem remotely fazed.
When the sun rose, James felt like a zombie. He wanted caffeine, his bed, Riley in his arms, Henry to kiss his cheek, his mum to hug him. There was no clock in sight so he had no idea what time it was. Their personal effects had been confiscated when they were thrown into their jail cells so James didn't have his wand, watch, or even his belt buckle. He scrubbed his tired eyes with his fingers and willed for someone to either charge them or let them go.
Eventually, Reed walked down the corridor towards them. James paused in his pacing, his heart racing in his chest. As though his father just fucking knew Reed was walking towards them, he suddenly stood up and made his way casually towards the bars of his cell. He shoved his forearms through and sneered.
"Either charge us or let us go," Harry said in greeting.
"You were in the presence of a domestic terror-"
"Alleged," Harry growled. "You can't keep us here forever. Time's running out for our hold time."
"I have more than enough time, Harry," Reed said, his jaw clenching.
"Do you? What evidence do you have against James and me?" Harry challenged. "Or are you just starting your smear campaign with the press like you did with Albus?"
"I didn't start a smear campaign against Albus," Reed said.
"Then who did?" Harry asked calmly. "I'm not a moron, Reed. You know that. I've been doing this for far too long to not know a set up when I see one. You've been on the job longer than I have. You're not a moron either."
"Is that what Albus told you?" Reed asked. "It's all a set up? Of course, he's going to say that!"
James watched his dad and Reed sound off on one another, his eyes darting back and forth.
"Albus said a lot of interesting things to me, Reed," Harry replied as he stood up to his full height. "You worried your name came up?"
James blinked, his lips twitching. His dad had the best poker face of anyone he had ever met. For the first time, James was truly seeing why his dad was considered a legend within the Auror Department. He was fishing, knew exactly what line to drop.
"I have nothing to hide," Reed hissed.
"All right," Harry said with a sigh and a shrug. "I suppose I'll just… follow the money then."
James' heart hammered in his chest, his eyes watching Reed carefully. His eyebrows raised ever so slightly, but James couldn't read anything specific about it. He attempted to swallow a lump in his throat but the damn thing remained lodged.
Reed left in a huff, and Harry just looked triumphant in his wake. James just felt miserable and wanted to go home. He wanted to cuddle Henry, hold Riley, have his Grandmum bake him a treacle tart. The last thing he wanted was to sit in a holding cell for another day and a half just to be made an example out of.
Except, that didn't happen. Reed let them out six hours later, before James completely climbed the wall. There would be no charges, no Azkaban, but Reed told them to watch their backs. James raked a hand through his hair as he was handed back his personal effects.
"Is that a threat, Reed?" Harry asked in a low voice as he buckled his watch back on his wrist before tying the multicolored leather bracelet.
"It's a friendly warning," Reed replied, a forced smile on his lips.
James didn't stick around for the fight of who had the bigger balls or whose bluff would be called first. He just wanted to go home.
When James finally entered his home in Devon, his shoulders slumped forward in relief and a smile grew on his face. Within moments, Riley appeared in the entryway with Henry on her hip. She sighed, tears springing to her eyes as she rushed forward.
"Jamie!"
"I'm all right," he said as he caught his family in his arms. "I had less than five panic attacks and worried about being a bottom, but I came out mentally sound."
Riley gave a watery chuckle. "Oh, Jamie, never change."
"I think you're probably one of the few people who has ever said that to me," James said thoughtfully as he pulled away from the embrace and gestured to take Henry. "You're on the same playing field as my mother."
"Well, if I'm going to be compared to someone, I suppose Ginny Potter isn't a bad thing," Riley said with a soft smile.
"I'm so sorry."
"For what?"
"Being arrested?" James replied, blinking at her with tired eyes. "My dad planned for us to get arrested so he could talk to Albus. He planned it, Riley, like some deranged psychopath! First the trackers in the bloody watches, then he plots for us to be arrested. What else is he going to do?"
"Your dad's not a deranged psychopath," Riley said evenly. "Take a deep breath."
"All right, he's not, but there's something not right in the head with him," James conceded. "Jail, Riley! He dragged me along with him! Granted, I get why he had me tag along. How would it look? Two Aurors, both Potters, both esteemed members of wizarding society being arrested? It wouldn't go over well with the general public."
"He's just trying to help your brother," Riley reasoned.
"I know. I just… when I was in that holding cell and I thought I was going to Azkaban… I was so scared. I can't even imagine what Albus is going through and he's already there! He could be there for life!"
"He didn't do anything though," Riley insisted. "The truth will prevail."
"What if it doesn't?" James asked quietly, his hand carding through Henry's unruly locks. "Life isn't fair. The truth doesn't always prevail. Sometimes, evil wins."
"You're spiraling, Jamie."
"I'm… I'm just scared."
"I know, love," Riley whispered, her fingernails running through his stubble he grew while behind bars. "You have a massive heart."
"I don't think I could bear to go see him in prison," James whispered. "I think I'd probably… cry or something stupid. You know Albus. He'd never let me live it down."
"I think it's the one time that Albus may let you live it down," Riley replied. "He has to be scared out of his mind."
"Scared Albus isn't a good Albus," James murmured. "Scared Albus tends to be sassy and defiant. That's not exactly the type of person the Azkaban guards will find amusing."
"You need to tell him that."
James sucked in a breath. She was right. He needed to find his Gryffindor courage and go see his brother, explain to him how to act and reassure him that he and Dad would do everything in their power to make everything right again.
If James was petrified of what was to come… he couldn't even imagine how Albus was feeling. Riley was right, he needed to see his brother and not later, now.
Harry slid his wand along his front door, his eyes heavy and body fatigued. He had been too hyped up to sleep in his jail cell. Instead, he had listened to James pace as he played over Albus' last words in his head and tried to figure out what it all meant.
Follow the money.
Reed's eyebrows had raised ever so slightly at the words, his big tell as far as Harry had learned over the decades he had known the man. He knew something, of that Harry was certain, and he was fairly sure he was also involved. It made Harry sick to his stomach to think that he had been the one to promote Reed after Sutton had turned down the position. Was Reed really in on this? Was that what he was thinking? Had he promoted a dirty Auror to lead the department? The thought was horrifying.
The house seemed eerily quiet when he stepped through the door. He strained his ears to hear where Ginny was as he shrugged off his Auror robes and suit jacket before tossing them on the bannister. Harry made his way towards the lit parlor.
Ginny sat in the armchair, her elbow propped up on the arm of the chair with her chin resting on her closed fist. Dangling in her other hand was a glass of wine. Harry noted the half empty bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Harry sucked in a breath. "Everything all right?"
"Hmm…" Ginny replied, swirling the red liquid in her glass. "Oh, yes. Everything's just dandy, Harry. I see you're out of prison early. You get off on good behavior?"
"No. I got off on making Reed squirm," Harry replied as he collapsed down on the sofa. "I have no doubt he's going to try his hardest to tie me into the attack now. I know enough to make him nervous. I just have to piece it all together."
"I hope whatever information Albus told you was worth it," Ginny mumbled before taking a large gulp of her wine. "They wouldn't let me see him. I tried."
"I'll fix that tomorrow. Come by the office, and we'll see him together."
"Sure, Harry," Ginny said with a sigh, her lips twisting.
Harry furrowed his brow. "Are you still upset with me?"
"Why would I be upset, Harry?" Ginny asked as she poured herself some more wine.
Harry blinked, wondering if it was a trick question. He could count on one hand the number of times he and Ginny had had a truly big blow up. They didn't fight often, but when they did, they could be vicious. Ginny knew that he needed straight answers from her, not sarcastic comments or fake reassurances that she was fine when she really wasn't fine. She knew that he was inept socially when it came to that sort of thing.
"I need a little more than a question answering a question," Harry explained, his frustration mounting that he even needed to tell her such a thing.
"Our baby boy is in Azkaban and our grandson is in St. Mungo's for the unforeseeable future. I'm not exactly happy."
Harry sighed. "I'll fix it."
"I'm sure you will," Ginny replied dryly, bringing the wine to her lips. "It's what you do, isn't it? Fix things. Fix us. The Chosen One, the Vanquisher, my protector. I've always loved that about you, your strong desire to help, to do good, even when it gets you into trouble."
Harry frowned. "Ginny, I didn't plan on going to jail."
"No, of course not," Ginny said. "You just planned on sending our son there."
Harry opened his mouth to protest before he closed it again. "Ginny, I can't help him if he's on the run, you know that. It's better if he's safe and unfortunately until I can prove his innocence, that means Azkaban."
Ginny only stared into her wine. "And how are you going to help our son now that he's locked up in Azkaban, Harry? I told you, they wouldn't even let me talk to him, let alone see him."
"They will," Harry assured her. "Tomorrow, we'll go together. And I did get to talk to him before we were all arrested. I tried to tell you that earlier."
"What did he say? Was he all right? He wasn't hurt?"
"He wasn't hurt," he assured her. "But Albus told me to follow the money and that apparently he's been in contact with Draco Malfoy. Malfoy, Gin, he trusted bloody Malfoy over me!"
"Well, to be fair, Malfoy never plotted to have him arrested," Ginny said dryly.
"Excuse me?" Harry's eyes snapped to hers so quickly that his head spun. "I did what needed to be done! I had to talk to him! I had to figure out what was going on!"
"Yet, Albus is still giving cryptic messages and not asking for your help," Ginny retorted.
"I will not apologize for getting my son off the streets and put somewhere safe," Harry said in a dangerously low voice.
"I'm not arguing with you, Harry," Ginny said, standing up and grabbing the neck of the wine bottle with her free hand. "You always do what you think is best."
"We can help him this way! We can see him and-"
"I'm not having this fight with you again! It was bad enough having it in front of Demelza and James at the Ministry!" Ginny raised her voice, her eyes wide. "I don't agree with you!"
"They could have killed him!" Harry shouted, jumping up from the sofa. "There was a kill upon run order for Albus!"
"What?"
"The Hit Wizards, the fucking Head of the Hit Wizards Oxley, ordered that if Albus tried to run, deadly force was permissible! Ron told me the morning we found Albus, he told me as soon as he had heard! I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry! I had to get him in jail! I had to do it! They would have murdered our son!"
Ginny blinked at him. The bottle of wine slipped from her hand and shattered to the ground. Harry took a step forward, mindful of the broken glass.
"I did what I had to do," Harry whispered.
Ginny let out a sob. "Our family is falling apart."
"We can fix it."
Ginny shook her head. "You can't fix everything, Harry. You just can't. You can't solve Remus' medical issues and you can't prevent Albus from spending life in prison."
"I can. I just need some more time."
Ginny let out a scoff. "Sure, Harry. Mr. Fix-It. I'm going to bed. I can't… I just can't talk about this anymore. I'm sorry."
Harry blinked, frozen in his spot as he watched Ginny leave the room. He sucked in a breath, his eyes closing. For the first time in his life, he felt that Ginny didn't trust him to protect their family. She'd actually scoffed at him. Harry let out a slow breath. He'd never once felt that she didn't trust his instincts, his beliefs, and now… if she didn't believe in him to save Albus, what was he going to do next? He had to talk to Ron, to tell him what Albus had told him about the money trail, about bloody Malfoy, and then maybe he could… what if Ron thought that he'd made the wrong choice as well? What if they both thought that he couldn't do this on his own?
You can't, a voice sang in his head. But I can help you fix everything.
Harry's eyes flew open, his breath quickening as his chest clenched painfully. His mind was numb. It has been years since he'd heard that voice in his head. He couldn't even recall a time recently when he had been so stressed or upset enough to hear him. He thought that he had beat him back and he would never return. His eyes snapped down to the bracelet on his wrist. His fingers brushed against the worn and tattered leather.
I can save Albus. Together we can show Ginny just how easily you can fix it.
He felt his mind slipping, felt his knees bounce in anticipation. One sip would solve all of his problems. Harry let out a shuddering sigh and slammed his eyes shut, his fingers brushing against the worn leather like a talisman.
Take it off. It's not even helpful anymore. Rip it off. Come on, Harry. Take it off. You know you want to.
Harry shook his head, his mind cloudy and his heart racing. His fingers stilled on the green leather strip that was Albus' color and he felt himself slip away even more. Weeks of nonstop stress and pain had brought him to this point. Felix was so clear in his head, clear like at the height of his addiction. Felix hadn't been this clear in so long. It was a sign of how much he needed his help. It had to be…
It's because you need me now more than ever, the voice taunted.
Harry's fingers pushed at the bracelet on his wrist in slow motion. He watched as the worn leather slipped down his hand, over his thumb, and fell into the wine puddle on the floor, settling on the broken glass as the wine seemed to drag it under in the plum red liquid. He blinked at it, his entire body trembling.
I've missed you, Harry. Let's save Albus. Together.
Harry gulped, a shaky hand carding through his hair. He stared down at the immersed bracelet for a full ten seconds before he turned, his legs moving involuntarily towards the front door.
Felix was right. If he was going to prove to Ginny that he could protect their family, that he could bring Albus home safely, he needed his help. One sip would solve everything. And with the gleeful praise still echoing in his head, he Disapparated with a loud pop straight to the entrance of Apricity Lane.
Harry walked down the cobblestone of the lane, his legs knowing exactly where to go and the muscle memory fresh, as though he had just completed that same walk yesterday instead of thirteen years ago. He had not dared to step foot in Apricity Lane since he had been addicted to Felix Felicis.
An odd humming echoed in his brain, his heart beating fast. A bubble of a laugh slithered up his throat. He felt calm, calmer than he had in days, in weeks, in months even.
He paused when his eye caught a copy of the Daily Prophet, a lump lodging in his throat at the sight of Albus' booking photo with his long hair tied up in a man bun, the beginning of a beard already on his face, and his lackluster eyes staring at the camera.
Albus Potter Arrested for Treason!
Has the Vanquisher Been Harboring a Criminal?
Harry raked a hand through his unruly hair. Maybe he had done Albus wrong… maybe he shouldn't have forced the arrest of his own son. What was wrong with him? Maybe Ginny had been right, Draco Malfoy was somehow a better person to turn to. Albus had chosen Malfoy over him because he'd thought his father wouldn't support him. What kind of father had he been?
We'll fix it.
Harry's body jerked at the words, his legs leading him to Panacea Apothecary. He pushed the door open, the little bell above him dinging. It was empty, so quiet, so peaceful. The shopkeeper behind the desk looked up at him, a smile gracing his features in greeting.
"One vial of Felix Felicis," Harry said in a soft voice, his fingers drumming on the countertop.
"Wand?" the shopkeeper asked.
Harry reached into his jacket pocket and produced his wand. He sniffed, his gaze focused on the wedding band on his finger. Ginny's disappointment rang over and over in his ear like a broken mantra.
"You can't fix everything, Harry. You just can't. You can't solve Remus' medical issues and you can't prevent Albus from spending life in prison."
He had let her down, let Albus down, let his entire family down. He needed to fix it and to fix it quickly. Felix could help him do that. One sip and he would be on the right path. One sip and he'd find the money. He'd show Reed who the better Auror was and he'd bring his son home himself.
Within minutes, his wand and a shimmering vial of Felix were placed in his palm. Harry blinked down at the molten gold, his mouth watering with a thirst he hadn't felt in so long. A melody played in his head, soft and comforting.
And for the first time in thirteen years, Harry felt that sweet calming sensation of peace wash over him.
He felt himself smile as the sweet, calming voice whispered in his ear…
Welcome back, old friend. Welcome home.
I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter! Don't forget to leave a review! They inspire and motivate me to write and keep on my writing schedule! So take an extra minute and hit review!
Special thanks to Bell for editing. Special thanks to Brie for always bouncing around ideas with me and helping me get back my Felix voice.