Standard Disclaimer: I obviously do not own anything in regards to Harry Potter or Game of Thrones. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am just a writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.
Note: I've had a couple of messages where people seemed worried about the volume of new stories I put out affecting the chapter releases of my old ones. There's no need to worry. I write these new stories so that I don't get burned out on my old ones. If I want to write something, I do. There isn't really a release schedule, especially with how hectic my life gets. So, just enjoy. Chapters will get published when they get published.
Note: Harry's backstory will be reviewed in dreams and flashbacks.
Part One - An unconventional Lion
Cersei cursed as she made her way down the halls of Casterly Rock. Tracking down that wily husband of hers was always troublesome. He just couldn't seem to stay in one place. A message had arrived via raven this morning, and since he had escaped from his retainers, it fell to her to find him and pass it on.
The paper felt heavy in her hand, bearing the sigil of the great stag of Baratheon. What message could the king have for her lord husband? The two weren't exactly on the closest of terms. A small smile alit on her face as she thought of the reason why.
Though her husband could be as vicious as a lion, he tended to draw the line at murdering children. When her father's men had gone to the Red Keep to murder the children of Elia Martell, they were met with her husband's blade. Sadly he had not arrived in time to save the Dornishwoman, but he had saved her children. Young Aegon had been sent North to be raised by Robert's closest friend and ally, Eddard Stark, and Rhaenys… She had become the daughter Cersei had never had.
Not that she was childless, since the year of her marriage the lady of Casterly Rock had given birth to two fine sons, but she would be lying if she said she didn't spend the most time with little Rhaenys. She had the same spark in her eyes that she herself had when she was an ambitious younger girl.
It irked her a little that as she'd gotten older, she'd taken to following her adopted father around, and learning his mannerisms. She'd especially taken to his views on exercise.
Hold on! That might just be it! Hiking her skirts over her ankles, the High Lady took off down the halls, taking a dozen twists and turns as she ascended three floors to her husband's private solar. An alternating series of male and female grunts could be heard from inside, rising in intensity.
Most women could be forgiven for hearing those noises and thinking their mates were engaged in a torrid affair. Cersei was not most people however, and as she pushed open the doors she gave an exasperated sigh.
There they were. Her dark haired, bearded, scarred, and very well toned husband hung shirtless in the air, doing that exercise he called pull-ups from a beam that hung on the ceiling. Rhaenys hung next to him in a sleeveless jerkin and pants, matching him rep for rep. Below them both were her sons, Neville and Lysander, doing push ups.
Oh how had she raised such muscle minded children?
"Ahem!" She coughed loudly into her hand, and somehow managed to stifle a chuckle when the man of her dreams fell from his beam in surprise.
He quickly righted himself and started groveling, as all good husbands knew to do with irritated wives. "Cersei, darling, love of my life, I was just… a… demonstrating the proper way to do a pull-up. So Rhaenys wouldn't injure herself." From the tilt of his eyes, Cersei knew that he knew how dumb that excuse sounded.
She placed a hand on her hip and cocked it slightly to the side, displaying her affectionate annoyance proudly. "So this little demonstration required you to 'literally' run away from the maester, mayor, and shipmaster? Harry James Potter-Lannister, you can't keep running away from these meetings!"
"But they keep wanting to talk about taxes!" Her lovable husband whined. "I'm a wizard Cersei, not an accountant." To emphasize his point, the man raised a hand in the air and caused a small ball of flame to ignite in his palm.
"Oh perfect." The elegant, golden haired, woman took the flaming limb and brought it closer to her bodice. "It was getting awfully chilly in here. I have no idea how you are standing there shirtless."
A predatory light seemed to grow in her husband's eyes at those words. "I can do it for two reasons, dear. One, the exercise keeps me warm, and two…" He grabbed her waist and drew her to him, "I enjoy the way you look at me when I'm unclothed."
"Hm." Cersei nibbled lightly on his neck, and then remembered that all of her children were in the room as well. How, after sixteen years of marriage, did this man still have such an effect on her! She leaned back to create a bit of distance, but did not disengage herself from his arms. "Be careful husband, we don't want to give our children a show do we?"
He sighed in disappointment. "I guess not." He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "But we will be continuing this later." He nibbled her ear lightly, took her hand, and led her over to sit beside him on a cushioned bench before the main fireplace. Many nights in the past had been spent with their little family reading together before the flames. And like old times, their children, both birthed and adopted, took the empty seats across from them.
Before she began, Cersei took a moment to observe her children. Rhaenys was twenty years old now, a woman grown. Her features were too firm and angular to be called fashionably beautiful, but there was an exotic tint to her purple eyes and silver hair that had drawn the eye of many a young man in Lannisport. Traditionally, a woman such as her would have been betrothed and married years ago, but there were several factors working against her. First, was Robert Baratheon's anathema against anything Targaryen. He had agreed to let her live, but that didn't mean he was actively encouraging those in his court to seek out her hand.
Second, was the girl's muscular build. She had taken much after Harry in the physical arts, seeing their exercise time as a great bonding experience. Cersei had not had the heart to step in. The result was troublesome, to say the least. The majority of nobles had spent sixteen years in peace, and had grown either fat or lazy. Most of them could not stomach the idea of a wife that had bigger arms than they did.
Finally, and the most irksome of the challenges to wedding the young woman, was her incredibly overprotective adoptive father. Every time a suitor came calling, Harry would take them alone into his solar, and not even twenty minutes would pass before the man was chasing the boys out of the castle. Often with a flaming sword in his hand. When Cersei had questioned him about it, he'd just said that they had horrible thoughts in their heads.
Next was Neville. Her oldest son of sixteen. She and Harry had conceived him the night of their wedding, and he'd been their pride and joy ever since. Harry said he had named him after 'one of the only true friends he'd had' in his past life. Someone who had proved himself a 'truer lion than anyone could have ever known.' For a house that used a lion as its emblem, it seemed appropriate.
The boy had his father's black hair, and green eyes, but his angular facial structure definitely came from his mother. Where Rhaenys was a solid block of muscle, Neville was trim and fit. His exercises tended to have more to do with speed than weight. This practice had applied itself well to the training yard, where their master at arms had proclaimed him a decent enough handler of the spear to be a challenge for the Prince of Dorne, Obyron Martell himself.
He was a studious boy, with a good head for words, numbers, and the political machinations of his mother. Oh many were the nights they'd spent plotting how they'd hypothetically defend their house against the others in the kingdom. He would be no match for the likes of the Queen of Thorns… but he'd be more than capable of handling that rat Petyr Baelish.
Sadly, at sixteen he too was yet to be betrothed. And she couldn't even blame his father for it this time. For all the boy's skills at combat, politics, and house management, he was just hopeless with women. He got tongue tied, and stuttered every other sentence. Harry was no help in that regard. Whenever she asked him to help their boy with it, he'd just shrug and say he was more like his namesake than he'd anticipated, and much like the other man, he'd have to work through it on his own.
Then there was Lysander, her youngest at fourteen. In many ways he was the opposite of his elder sibling. His hair was golden as her own, with his father's eyes and facial structure. He had wide shoulders, a strong chest, and massive legs. The latter came as a result of all the time he spent in the saddle. The boy was a natural on a horse, and every moment he wasn't in lessons, he could be found practicing the joust, racing, or learning mounted combat.
To further mark a difference from his brother, Lysander was sadly, in her opinion at least, an incorrigible flirt. She'd cried the first time her guards had reported seeing him at one of the Lannisport brothels. They were still looking for a match that would be able to hold his attention. The last thing they needed was for him to embarrass the family by committing an act of infidelity.
A brief cough from her husband brought her attention off of her own musings and back to the present. "Ah, yes. We have received a raven from King's landing."
"Ugh." Harry groaned as he wrapped a familiar arm around her waist and pulled her close. "What does that fat bastard want of us now?"
"Harry!" She slapped his shoulder lightly, earning a giggle from Rhaenys. "Don't badmouth our king in front of the children. It's undignified. Anyway, he was writing us to invite our family to meet him at Winterfell. Apparently he has business with the Starks, and he would like to discuss something with you while he's there."
"Wait, let me get this straight. Our 'honorable' King Robert Baratheon wants us to travel hundreds of miles out of our way, just to see him for some random purpose that he doesn't even explain?"
Cersei frowned. "That could be one way of looking at it."
"Maybe he wants to try and make you his court wizard again, father." Neville spoke up.
"Perhaps." Harry scowled. "Not that he'll get that. I am not some conjurer of cheap tricks for a fat man's amusement."
"Regardless," Cersei reacquired the voice of the conversation, "it would be unwise to disregard a direct order from the king. Especially when his entire household is apparently on the move as well. Your absence would be noted."
Harry sat in quiet contemplation for a moment before turning to give his wife his full attention. "You're the politician in this family, dear. If we go, that does not mean I need to agree to what he asks, right?"
"That's right. Robert can order your presence as your liege, but he cannot demand you take a position."
The lord of Casterly Rock, sagged down to lie on the bench, dragging his wife with him, with a squawk of surprise on her part.
"Fine, fine. We'll go. Kids, go tell the castellan to begin preparing some horses and carriages for our departure.
As the trio moved to exit, he continued, "Oh, and… lock the door on your way out." For emphasis, he began to nibble on their mother's ear, causing her to giggle and moan.
The move earned the desired effect as their children practically ran out of the room with crimson faces, slamming the doors behind them.
Three Weeks Later - The North
"Lysander!" Harry yelled from the head of his procession. "Stop riding so far ahead and get your ass back here! There are wolves and wild boars in those forests!"
Rhaenys spoke up from his side, "That boy has no sense of self preservation."
"Yeah, he gets that from me. In my youth, my 'saving people thing' often put my life into precarious situations. If we're lucky he'll grow out of it like I did."
This time it was Neville that spoke up. "Father, I doubt he'll have the benefit of extra-dimensional travel and the chance to start a new life."
Ahead of them, the towers of Winterfell Castle were coming into view. "Not if he's lucky. Going through that portal sucked. Lysander, go get your mother. We'll be at the castle within the hour, and she said she wanted to ride through the gates with me."
With a nod, he took off to carry out his order, meanwhile, the Lord of Casterly Rock grabbed his adopted daughter's attention.
"Aegon is going to be at Winterfell, Rhaenys. How do you feel about that?"
"I am… conflicted, father. He's my brother, I know that, but we've only really communicated with letters for as long as I can remember. He's my blood, but I do not know him. Is it wrong that Neville and Lysander feel closer to me than he does?"
"Not at all, Little Flame." Harry smiled at the pet name he'd given his girl when she was but five years old. "Family, is not just blood. It is the connections you make with the people you care about. You were not born to me, but you are my daughter. Do you think your brothers think less of you because their mother did not bear you?"
Rhaenys covered up her vulnerability with a flex of her biceps. "It's hard to think less of someone that has bigger arms than you."
Harry chuckled lightly at that. "Perhaps. But regardless, I know that what we are about to experience may be more than a little difficult for you. But whatever happens, never doubt that your family will be standing beside you through all of it."
Rhaenys brought her mare closer to her father, and leaned against him for a moment. "Thank you. I didn't know how much I needed to hear that until now."
"That's usually the way it is. Now you might want to back up a bit or your mother might think you're trying to ride in in her place."
As he spoke, Cersei came cantering up on a silver mare of her own. "Not to worry, husband. If our daughter wishes to ride beside you, then I have no arguments."
"No, it's probably not a good idea to let a Targaryen be the first thing King Robert sees when we arrive. I'll ride beside my brothers." With that, the younger woman turned around and cantered after her fellow lions.
"Robert better not try anything with her." Harry growled. "King or not, he won't survive the immolation I'll bring forth."
"Hey," Cersei took one of his hands, freeing it from the death grip it had held on his reigns, "We just need to keep her out of his sight."
They needn't have worried however. Their rush to leave appeared unwarranted as there were no signs of the royal procession. There were, however, a cavalcade of Stark's and their bannermen waiting at the gate.
"Everybody halt!" Harry called to his house guard and vassals. Then he turned to his wife and children. "Who's ready to meet the most honorable man I know?"
Not waiting for a response, he took off across the ground, with his family hard on his heels. When he was only a few feet away from the grouping he leapt off his horse, ran the rest of the way, and threw his arms around a tall, bearded, man with a growing widows peak.
"Ned! By the gods it's good to see you." He exclaimed.
The other man laughed with him, lifting him into the air with his embrace before setting him back down. "Well, if it isn't the only Lannister I can stand. It's good to see you, Harry."
"You're forgetting the only wizard you know. Ha!" He turned to the woman standing beside Eddard, and his smile visibly dimmed. "Catelyn. You look… stoic as always."
The woman matched his expression and gave the shallowest curtsy possible. "And you look just as blasphemous as ever Lord Lannister."
Harry rolled his eyes. "How many times must I tell you people, it's Potter-Lannister. I hyphenated since I earned the title by marriage. As for being blasphemous… well it's not my fault your Faith of the Seven has so many issues with magic. Suck it up and move on."
"Excuse me sir-"
Before the enraged woman could chew him out, he moved on down the line to a burly looking 17 year old. "You must be Robb. You look just like your father when I met him, minus the jaw on the floor."
Eddard, who had followed him down after greeting his wife, said "Well we can't all see a mysterious wizard fall out of a circle of fire in the sky."
"True enough." He turned back to the boy, "You look like a brawny lad. I'm curious how you'd fair against my kids in the training ring."
The boy stood a little straighter, "I'm sure I'm more than a match for them." He said.
Harry raised an eyebrow at the lord of Winterfell. "Twenty silver crowns on my daughter."
"Get ready to lose some money." Eddard ribbed him back.
Meanwhile Robb was staring at the lion lord as if he'd sprouted two heads. "Daughter? What do you-"
"Oh you'll meet her in a moment."
The wizard chuckled as he stepped on down the line. Next up was a young red headed girl of 14. "Now what's your name miss?"
The girl shyly looked up at the handsome man before her, marveling at the fact that he was as tall as her father. "I-I'm Sansa, my Lord Lannister." The girl finished her words with a proper curtsy, flared skirts and all.
The wizard smiled at the sight. "You my dear would fit right in with the southern ladies of Westeros. It's a pleasure to meet you, and please, call me Harry."
"Thank you, my Lor-, Harry." The girl stumbled over her address for a moment, but nevertheless, followed through.
"Good girl." Harry praised as he ruffled her perfectly combed hair.
His next stop was a much smaller girl that couldn't be older than eleven. For some reason she was wearing an iron helm on her head. Before he could introduce himself to the girl, she stepped forward on her own and raised her hand.
"I'm Arya Stark. It's nice to meet you."
With a bemused expression, the man shook the little girl's hand. "Harry Potter-Lannister. I like the helm. Are you going to be a knight then?"
"Of course. Being a Lady would just be boring."
Once more Harry raised an eyebrow to his old friend. "She has a point, Ned."
Eddard shook his shoulders, uncomfortably feeling the weight of his wife's glare on his back. "Yes, well, Next up are Bran and Rickon."
"Hold up, Ned." Harry interrupted his friend with a raised hand. "I know you have another older son, where is he?"
The glare on Eddard's back was increasing in intensity by the second. "I don't know what you mean, Harry." He was desperately moving his pupils between them and his wife, hoping against hope that the man would get the message.
Luckily, or unluckily depending on your view, he did. "Oh! Your wife's still giving you grief about siring a bastard? Well no matter. Jon!" Harry had cupped his hands around his mouth as he hollered. "Jon Snow! I know you're here somewhere. Where are ya!"
Trying to keep his wife form going on a rampage, Eddard pushed a few rows into the crowd, and pulled out a dark haired boy maybe a year or two younger than his eldest. "This is Jon."
"Hm." Harry raised a hand to his chin and circled the nervous boy. "Yup, Ned, this boy is definitely of your line. Congrats." He stopped back in front of him. "What's your dream boy? What do you hope to achieve in your life?"
Jon was clearly nervous to be placed in the spot light. He looked to his father, but the man just waved a hand, letting him know he was on his own.
"W-Well, I'm a bastard," He said at last. "My options aren't great, but I have been thinking of joining the Nights Watch."
"Ugh." Harry gagged. "You do realize that that's where every kingdom in the south sends its prisoners that want to avoid death right? Hell, Lannisport sent them Forty rapists and twenty murderers last year alone."
Jon blanched at that news, but nevertheless attempted to defend his dream, "The Nights Watch is a noble calling. Its purpose is to-"
"To protect the realm from the dangers of the far north." Harry finished for him. "Weather they be Wildlings, Darkfiends, Wargs, or Others. Yes Jon the Watch 'had' a noble purpose. But it hasn't been noble in a very long time. Do you really want to waste away your life among rapists, murderers, and thieves?"
For the first time in the conversation, Jon looked helpless. "What else is there for me, sir? I'm a-"
"A bastard, yes, why does that matter? Does not having legitimacy make you any less strong or capable with a blade? Does it make you duller of mind and constitution? Tell you what, come see me during my time in your home. I have some ideas about how you can better spend your life."
Not knowing what else to do, Jon bowed to the older man, and stepped back hurriedly into the crowd.
The wizard turned back to his friend, "Good kid, bit nervous though. Probably Catelyn's influence."
Eddard sighed, "Harry, please don't badmouth my wife in my own home."
In turn, Harry gave the man a dead stare. "Tell me I'm wrong, Ned."
Unable to come up with a response, the man instead directed his compatriot to be introduced to his youngest sons.
Before he could, Harry asked, "Where is Aegon by the way?"
"Inside. We weren't sure if you were Robert at first, and we didn't think he'd enjoy the sight of a Targaryen upon his arrival."
Meanwhile, Cersei had made her way to the Lady of Winterfell. The woman was seething.
"I can't believe that man!" She growled as she stared at the the intruding lord standing by her husband. "He not only disrespects me and my religion in my own home, but he also has the gall to introduce himself to that bastard before my trueborn sons?"
"It's good to see you too Cat." Cersei commented dryly. She was aware of how little the woman thought of her husband, but she at least tried to stay on good terms with her.
Suddenly realizing her mistake, the red haired woman turned fully to face her fellow Lady. "I'm sorry, Cersei. Your husband just gets under my skin. I don't know how you can stand to be married to him."
"Well," Cersei mused, "It certainly helps that he's a beast in bed."
"Cersei!" Catelyn gasped at the audacity of her old acquaintance.
Before the other woman could start on a sermon on the audacity of Southern Ladies, the Lady of Lannister took her arm and led her inside the gates proper of the castle. "Why don't you show me around the castle, hm?"
While all of this was going on, The children were finally greeting each other.
Robb and Neville were discussing the highs and lows of being the first born heirs to family houses. Lysander's confidence and exuberant nature were helping him hit it off with both Sansa, (to his brother's worry) and the younger boys, but Arya was completely consumed with the muscled form of Rhaenys.
"How are your arms so big? Are all your muscles that large? Do you know how to fight? Can I get as big as you? Are you going to be a knight? Are you-"
For her part Rhaenys was just trying to keep her footing with this excitable girl. She had never been all that great with children. "Ah, well, my muscles are big because I exercise with my father. Yes my other muscles are big. I guess I can fight pretty well. Maybe? A knight, I don't know." She desperately looked around for help, but no one was near enough to offer her a way out. Then she thought of something. "Well, I should probably see to our horses. Father likes us to handle them ourselves."
Sadly her plan backfired. "That sounds likes something my dad would say. I'll come help you." With a bright smile on her face, the younger girl took off toward the trusty steeds before the young woman could say anything against such an action.
Rhaenys just knew this was going to be a long trip.
Later That Night
"Thank you for setting a room aside for Rhaenys and Aegon to talk, Ned." Harry spoke as he took a sip of the northern cider he'd been provided. "She has been a little nervous about seeing him again, and didn't want the others to see her if she embarrassed herself."
The northman chuckled beside him. "Aegon was the same way. He had it rough for a while, but there being two others ahead of him with a claim to the throne has helped alleviate his worries that Robert would send people to kill him in his bed. Seeing his big sister might be just the thing he needs to finally smile again."
Both had mugs in their hands as they sat in comfortable chairs before the roaring fireplace of the main hall. They'd had some time before dinner, so had decided to share a quick drink.
"He still might you know." Harry muttered, staring into his mug.
Eddard was aghast, "Robert would never sanction the murder of children."
The wizard's eyes flashed with the power of his recollection. "You were not there that night when it happened, Ned. You showed up after Princess Elia was murdered. But I was in the room. I saw the Mountain there with his cronies as I arrived, laughing over the princess's still warm body as they raped her. When I demanded to know what they were doing, they just said the new king had ordered the execution of the royal family, and that they were enjoying the process."
Harry shuddered. "I can still see it in my mind, Rhaenys, not even four years old, hiding her baby brother under the bed with her body as those monster's ravaged her mother's corpse above them. I have never once felt a moment of guilt for killing those men, Ned, but I do feel guilty that she saw me do it. She'd already seen enough to last a lifetime by then."
"I took the children into my arms, and made my way to the throne room, where Robert was waiting. You were with him by then. You heard him curse me for stopping his 'men' from carrying out their orders. You heard him demand the lives of the children I held. Are you telling me that such a man would not try to murder them still?"
Eddard was silent for several moments as he grappled with the memory of the man he'd known. "Robert was in the blood fury then, full of grief. Otherwise he would not have said those things. Besides, he's more focused on keeping track of the Targaryens across the sea now. Our children are safe."
"Keep telling yourself that old friend. I've met egotistical power hungry men before, and he fit the bill then. For what its worth, I hope you're right and he's not one now. Especially if we are to be family soon."
The older man jolted in his chair, almost spilling his mead. "What was that?"
Harry chuckled before taking a fresh sip of his cider. "Are you telling me that you honestly haven't seen the way your oldest was making eyes at my Rhaenys? Granted your youngest daughter was doing it too, albeit for different reasons."
The Warden of the North sputtered for a moment more before raising a hand to his chin in thought. Such a pairing wouldn't be that bad actually. Deposed or not, Targaryen blood was still noble, and the girl seemed hardy enough to survive the north. On top of that, her stature and obvious physical strength would earn her the respect of the men as well. If Robb actually liked her too, then it was all the better. Ned had long ago decided that he'd give his children every chance to marry for love before making their nuptials political.
Slowly, he placed his mug on the tray beside him. "Harry, just so we are clear, are you proposing a betrothal between your adoptive daughter and my son?"
"Well, I'd want to talk to her about it first. She's a few years older than him, but that shouldn't matter really. He's handsome enough, appears noble as his father, and if he can impress her in the yard tomorrow then I'm sure she'd find no issue with saying yes. She really doesn't like weak men."
Eddard raised a brow. "I'll inform Rob of that then. Shall I draw up the paperwork?"
"Why not. Worst case scenario you've just strained your wrist after all."
"Hm." Eddard thought for a moment. "What of your son's? I have daughters as well."
"You'd really marry off your daughters to 'southern' lords? I thought you had a whole thing against that."
"In most cases yes, but you don't exactly match the mold of a typical southerner."
"Fair enough. Sadly, I must decline." Seeing the look on his friend's face he elaborated. "It's nothing against your children, Ned, honest. I just don't think our kids would mesh too well. "Neville is my heir, and must stay at Casterly Rock after marriage. Were he to take Sansa away, I have a feeling your wife would skin me alive. On top of that, he's a very literal and regimented man. Romance wouldn't come easy for him. As for Lysander… Well, he's a good enough lad, but I'm not sure he's going to be ready to settle down anytime soon. The last thing I want is for your daughter to be saddened by his wandering attentions."
"Fair enough." Ned did a passable imitation of his friend's earlier statement. "So what else is there to do?"
Harry smirked. "Well, your scouts report that the king should be arriving sometime tomorrow. So for tonight, let's eat, drink, and watch our kids make fools of themselves."