When Albus Potter is accused of domestic terrorism, Harry will not stop until he uncovers the truth. Things would be a lot easier if Albus wasn't missing… or presumed dead.
Harry is 46, Ginny is 45, Teddy is 29, James is 23, Albus is 20, Lily is 19
"Legerdemain"
"Chapter One: The One with the Explosion"
It smelled of decayed bodies and smoke. It lingered in the air, making Harry Potter wake up gagging and struggling to breathe. Blinking, he could feel a gob of thick blood slipping into the corner of his eye. His mouth was oddly dry with a strange metallic taste that lingered on his tongue. Rolling over onto his back, he stared up at a gaping hole in the ceiling, still disoriented and confused as to what exactly had happened. Squinting, he tried to make out what room was directly above him, but his vision was blurred. A shaky hand rose to his face to feel around for his glasses, to no avail.
His head turned slowly to the right, and the sight of bloody bodies collapsed on and under rubble made him pause. Ron, he remembered, he'd been with Ron, and his eyes searched frantically for the familiar redhead. All he saw was long black hair that had a heavy layer of dust dirtying the shiny locks. He reached out, brushing the hair off Demelza's face. His trembling fingers fumbled around her neck to feel for a pulse. A breath he didn't know he was holding escaped his lips.
Licking his lips, he tasted ash and death. He tried to concentrate on the noises around him, except an odd buzzing and ringing was all that sounded in his ears. If he concentrated hard enough, he swore he could hear whimpering, shouting, and rustling around him. His eyes slid shut as he tried to recall what exactly had happened.
They were in a court hearing for an illegal artifacts dealer. His criminal empire had been robbing stores and personal residences for close to a year before selling the illegal items on the black market. They had been halfway through the trial for the day when there was an earthquake that caused the entire room to quiver. They had barely gained their momentum before a loud bang echoed from above and the roof caved in; rubble and bodies raining from the ceiling.
The Department of Mysteries was located directly above the courtrooms, he noted before his eyes flew back up to the ceiling. His breath caught in his throat – Albus!His heart constricted painfully at the thought of his youngest son, who worked as an Unspeakable. It was a job he took very seriously and never spoke about despite the prodding from his siblings to hear about all the mysteries of their world.
"Dad!"
Harry attempted to call out to the familiar voice, but he only ended up coughing, the putrid air suffocating him. He groaned, attempting to roll over to where he thought his son was. A mop of messy black hair appeared in his line of vision, the distorted features of his son's Auror robes coming into view. James Potter's trembling hand fumbled around Harry's neck.
"J… Jamie?" Harry croaked.
"It's okay, Dad, it's okay. Help is on the way," James explained, his voice shaky.
"Albus?"
James pushed his glasses up his nose, his eyes scanning the rubble around Harry. He reached out and plucked something off the ground and rested them on Harry's face. The right lens to his glasses was cracked, but he could see James clearly out of the left lens. James settled down on his knees by Harry, his palm resting comfortingly on his shoulder.
"I don't know, Dad. I came down here first when I heard help was needed," James whispered, his face looking pale and unsure.
"Lily?"
"She's on level seven. She's fine. She was nowhere near the blast."
Harry wanted to argue that it was close to lunchtime. Lily and Albus usually had lunch together, and it was reasonable that Lily would have to pry her brother away from work in order to eat.
Harry sucked in a breath as he struggled to sit up, his hands scraping against the jagged stone. He let out a hiss of pain and withdrew his left hand to see a gash on his palm. He collapsed back onto the ground, his muscles sore and weak.
"Don't try to move! Merlin, Dad, what is wrong with you?" James snapped. "It wouldn't kill you just to wait for a Healer, would it?"
"Where's Ron?" Harry asked through gritted teeth as he searched around the room again.
"Here," a voice croaked.
Harry rolled onto his side and looked behind him to see Ron staring up at the gaping hole in the ceiling. His head lolled to the side, and Harry reached out a hand towards him. Their fingers brushed against one another, and that was enough for them to know the other was alive and all right.
"How bloody touching," a grumpy voice sounded, and Harry whipped his head to see Demelza struggling to sit up in the rubble. "I swear, you two wouldn't survive without the other."
"Shut it," Ron snapped.
Demelza swayed, her hand touching a gash on her forehead. "I'm fine, by the way. Thanks for asking."
Harry groaned at the bickering. Even after an explosion at the Ministry while they're lying in the rubble, Ron and Demelza found the time to bicker like an old married couple.
"Dad," James' voice cracked at the simple syllable. "There's something you need to see."
"What is it, Jamie?"
James reached out a hand, and Harry took it without hesitation. He allowed his son to help him into a seated position. A wave of dizziness washed over him, causing him to shake his head to clear away the specks of black that began to overtake his vision.
"The room directly above us is the Death Chamber," James explained, his voice low and trembling.
Harry blinked a few times before glancing up to look at James, who had Ginny's wide brown eyes and a splash of Weasley freckles across his nose and cheeks. The normal goofy smile that seemed like a permanent fixture across his face was absent. Instead, he looked uncharacteristically serious.
"Is that where Albus has been assigned?" Harry whispered, his brow furrowed, suddenly afraid that James did indeed know where Albus was.
"I don't know. It's not about Albus, Dad."
"I don't understand, Jamie."
James stood up and held out a hand for Harry to take. "I need to show you."
Harry allowed James to pull him up and leaned against him for support. The two of them walked, stepping over rubble. Harry's eyes soaked in the scene around him. The Healers had just arrived and they helped the wounded, who were still unconscious or in need of dire medical assistance. When James paused, Harry turned his head and looked down.
His entire body tensed as his insides twisted, and it felt like solid ice had just washed through his veins as he stared at what his son was pointing to. Lying face up, his back curved around a large piece of stone, was the body of his godfather. Despite the paler than white skin that was almost translucent, Sirius Black looked exactly the same as he had thirty years before. Except now there were burn marks on his chest, as well as charred blackness around his mouth and down his throat. Everything else was the same from the long black hair, the handsome face with premature worry lines creased in his forehead, and the most surprising sight, not decayed in the slightest.
It was almost like his body had been preserved in some way. Harry's breath caught in his throat as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Suddenly he was fifteen years old again, Remus' arms wrapped around him as he attempted to rush at the Veil to save him…
"He was an Inferius," James whispered, bringing Harry out of his flashback.
James slipped from Harry's side and crouched down next to Sirius. Harry couldn't speak and merely watched as James pried open one of Sirius' eyes. It was a cloudy white and not the familiar gray he had once been accustomed to. It didn't ease the queasiness that had settled deep within him. It took Harry everything he had in him not to vomit on the spot, not to break down completely in front of everyone.
"Mr. Potter, let me clear you!"
Harry turned at the voice and saw a Ministry Healer standing beside him. She reached up to touch the gash on his forehead, and he felt his eyes twitch. He needed to leave the courtroom, needed to get away from the body of Sirius Black lying on the floor. He needed to focus on something else and making sure Albus was all right was at the top of his list. He made a comment about being quick about it as she healed his head wound and offered him a potion. He pushed the potion away without a word and brushed past her to leave. He picked up his speed, his legs feeling shaky and wobbly beneath his weight, as he darted out of Courtroom Five. He didn't need to look to know that Ron and James were not far behind, rushing to keep up with him.
"Dad! Stop!" James cried. "You have to take the potion. The Healer said-"
"I don't care what the bloody Healer said!" Harry exclaimed, his voice like steel, as he wheeled around to look at his son. "You just showed me the body of my dead godfather who died over thirty years ago looking like I just fucking lost him and Albus could be hurt, Jamie! He works in the department that exploded!"
James stared at his father before wordlessly passing him the potion. "Drink this, Dad, and we'll go find Al together. Okay?"
Harry took the potion, downing it with a grimace before he took off towards the Department of Mysteries once more.
The elevator was shut down, causing Harry to curse uncharacteristically as he darted towards the stairwell. He took the stairs two at a time, his body running on pure adrenaline to ensure that all of his children were all right. There was a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach that one of his children was in trouble. It nagged at the back of his mind as he pushed open the door and rushed towards the Department of Mysteries.
Lily stood outside the department, her arms wrapped around her stomach. Harry called out to her and watched as her tear-stained face turned towards him. She darted down the corridor and leapt into his arms. Harry winced when she collided with his chest, but he wrapped his arms tightly around her, not wanting to let her go.
"Are you all right?" Harry murmured into her hair before pressing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Daddy, they won't tell me anything. They won't tell me where Albus is."
"It's all right. I'm sure he's fine."
Harry gently pried Lily's arms from around his waist and tucked her petite frame against his side. They walked towards the department, and Harry recognized Sutton and Reed standing guard outside the department. Sutton looked grimly at him, his head shaking as Harry approached.
"What happened?"
"Harry, not now," Sutton whispered.
"What do you mean, not now? My son works in that department!"
"We're very well aware of that, Harry. Look… Albus was allegedly in the room during the explosions."
Harry's brow furrowed. "Explosions? As in more than one?"
"There were two. Albus is… we need to bring him in for questioning."
"He'll go freely and answer any questions that you have, but in the meantime, I want to see my son. I don't understand the issue."
"Well, the issue is that Albus was in that room during the explosions and now nobody can find him."
Lily gasped, her tiny body shaking against Harry's side. Her hands covered her mouth, fresh tears gliding down her cheeks. He could hear James demanding what that meant, his voice quivering.
Harry stood perfectly still as though he were turned to stone. "What do you mean he's missing? Is he trapped in the rubble? Is he hurt?"
"No," Sutton said. "He's not trapped or hurt. But he's under suspicion for the cause of it."
"What?" Harry bellowed. "Are you mad?"
"Harry, there are witnesses," Sutton said. "And right now, Albus Potter is our Undesirable Number One and he's missing."
Two Months Prior
Lily Potter cursed under her breath as she walked briskly along the cobblestone paths of Apricity Lane. She was late, later than late. She was supposed to be meeting up with Albus and Scorpius at Apricity Spread for dinner a good twenty minutes ago, but she had been stuck late at work because of some fiasco over the quarter-final Quidditch match between the Wigtown Wanderers and the Sumbawanga Sunrays. The Sunrays were threatening a lawsuit against the British team for taking juicing potions, a rather unsubstantiated claim made to stir headlines. Since Lily worked in public relations, it meant the fiasco fell to her to deal with damage control.
Lily whimpered as her feet ached in her high heels. She wanted to sit down, take off her damn shoes, have a nice glass of Pinot Grigio, and stuff her face with as much food as humanly possible. It was close to eight o'clock, and all she had the entire day was a yogurt on her way into the Ministry.
She'd be lying if she didn't feel a little guilty for being late to dinner. Albus had been in a mood for the past couple of weeks, snapping at everyone and everything more often than was usual for his charming self. Scorpius had always apologized, claiming work had been stressing Albus out, but Lily hadn't been entirely convinced. She and Albus had always been thicker than thieves, she knew it wasn't just simple work stresses that were causing him to lash out. No, something more serious was going on, but Lily couldn't pinpoint exactly what. Getting Albus to talk had always been easy for Lily, but it was getting him to talk before he wanted to that was the problem. Albus would stew over something for weeks, working out every angle before he would even attempt to explain himself. It was frustrating to say the least.
She paused outside of a toy store when her eye caught a toy broom on display in the window. It was the newest model out, and she had been trying to find one since Christmas to get for James' little boy's first birthday, which happened to be only two weeks away. She could be the hero aunt and present her cute little nephew with what would probably be his favorite gift of the day. She figured she was already late, what was another five minutes? She was just about to head in when a male voice made her pause.
"Lily! Lily, over here!"
She turned and immediately regretted it. The paparazzi spotted her again. For some reason, they seemed to take a liking to her over all of her other siblings as of late. Teddy had never really had any issues with the press, but the press hounded James his first few years out of Hogwarts. The firstborn son of Harry Potter marrying the only daughter of England's star Keeper Oliver Wood was bound to make headlines. The wedding had channeled a major press boom that made them out to be almost like royalty. The birth of their son Henry had been met with an equal fervor of praise, as if he was a prince giving an heir to the country. The press never hounded Albus like James, though they had written many speculative articles constantly naming him the Black Sheep of the family. When the press found out that he was dating Scorpius Malfoy, the son of a Death Eater, more bad press followed him. But the paparazzi knew no shame when it came to Lily.
She had been the target of their constant attention since she'd been a child. When she started school, pictures and articles were released about her from sources she'd never known. By the time she began working at the Ministry, planning to make a name for herself in public relations, the press had been on her even more. It had gotten so bad that her dad threatened legal action. She could hardly go shopping without getting her photo snapped. Witch Weekly wanted to know what shoes she wore, where she bought her clothes, who styled her hair, and who she was dating.
Deciding that she really wasn't ready to read a story about her being caught buying children's toys leading to a story about her being pregnant, she turned and bolted as fast as she could down the street. Her face winced as her arches ached painfully in the heels. Why did she wear ruddy heels to work all the time? Oh, right, because she inherited her mother's short gene. She was even shorter than her mother, which was rather unfortunate.
She darted down an alleyway, dodging a pile of beer and liquor boxes. There was a back door into the bar. Holding her breath, she grasped the doorknob and yanked it open. Luckily, it was unlocked. She slipped inside just as she saw the herd of photographers round the corner into the alleyway.
She stepped into the building, emerging from the entrance by the bathrooms, and recognized the popular bar known as The Lost Mug. Picking up her pace, she made her way through the crowded bar. In the corner, sitting on a barstool, was a broad-shouldered man with dark hair. He was certainly a lot taller and bigger than her. Thinking of nothing except hiding from the press that had to be hot on her heels, she dashed forward towards him. She put on a bright smile, oozing all the charm she possessed, grabbed him by the bicep, and tugged him out of his seat. He gave her a bewildered look, but let her lead him towards the wall. Only once he stood in front of her with her back pressed against the wall, did she sneak a peek around him to make sure no one saw her.
"Don't move," she said. "I need your height and broad shoulders to hide me."
He furrowed his brow, as she rested her forearms on his shoulders and it took Lily all that she had in her not to bite her lip. She hadn't expected her savior to be so good-looking.
"I'm sorry?"
"Hide me," she repeated and rose on her tiptoes. "Just lean into me and snog me or something."
His lips twitched. "Hiding from an ex-boyfriend or something?"
"Or something," she said with a shrug before returning his smile. The sound of the bell at the door had her jolting. "Quick!"
She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and pulled him down to her level. The moment her lips met his, an electric shock radiated through her entire body. His hard chest pressed against hers and his strong arms wrapped around her waist. The kiss deepened, and Lily forgot everything she was doing. None of it mattered except his lips on hers.
He pulled back, a goofy grin plastered across his face and she'd never been so disappointed for a kiss to end. "Is that what you were looking for?"
Lily's lips parted, her bottom lip trembling, wishing it was pressed back against his. Who knew the man could kiss like that? Her eyes rose, soaking in the features of his face. She noted the notch of hair missing in his brow, the dark eyes, the stubble that graced his cheeks, and when his lips curved again it suddenly hit her that she knew exactly who she had just kissed and it was a terrible, terrible mistake!
"You're Rayko Krum," she whispered.
He smirked. "And you're Lily Potter."
"Guilty." Lily shrugged her shoulders, striking a quick pose.
"So, is there an ex-boyfriend I need to pummel for you or was that just an excuse to hide from the press that walked in the moment you kissed me?"
Lily glanced around the bar and noticed a few photographers roaming towards the front of the bar. She adjusted her position to keep hidden. "Only the ex-boyfriend, then? You won't help a girl by pummeling the press?"
He snorted. "I think they would only find that even more interesting."
"No matter what I do, I'm interesting," she grumbled.
"I know how that feels." Rayko smiled tightly, his right hand massaging the back of his neck. "But if we get photographed together, we'll make front page news."
"England's Hot New Couple Alert – Rayko and Lily Spotted Alone in a Swanky Apricity Lane Bar," Lily said in her best scandalous voice.
Rayko chuckled. "Basically! Do you secretly write for the Prophet? You captured the headline so well!"
"Nah, the writing skills began and ended with my mum."
Rayko nodded, his head turning towards the paparazzi at the front of the bar. A moment later, his dark eyes were back on her. He licked his bottom lip, and Lily squirmed. She wanted to stand on her toes and press her lips back to his more than she wanted to do anything else.
"We can't stay here against the wall forever and with hair that vibrant, you'll always stand out," he said. "How do you feel about sneaking out of here and grabbing a drink with me?"
Lily's brain screamed that this was a bad idea. He had a reputation, of course. His exploits of heavy partying, a trail of heartbroken girls, and his general lack of ambition were splattered across the pages of every magazine and newspaper in all of England, hell in all of Europe. Rayko Krum, the Playboy Prince. He had a new witch on his arm every other day. Hadn't he just thrown a party so big and so explosive that DMLE officials had been called in to deal with it so as not to alert the Muggles? There had been something about a drunken escapade through Muggle London as well as the witch who claimed to have given birth to his love child… except Lily also knew that about eighty percent of the stories printed about her family were rubbish.
Her eyes flickered down to his full lips, and she knew she was a goner. The Playboy Prince or not, she'd never wanted to snog anyone as badly as the man standing before her. Albus would only complain if she showed up to dinner this late, anyway. Might as well enjoy herself. Really, what harm was there in stealing a few more kisses?
"Yes to both, but only if you don't judge me for taking my shoes off as soon as we get a table."
Rayko smiled. "As long as you don't make fun of me if I start talking in Bulgarian if I get a little too drunk."
Fuck, could he be any more adorable?
"I'll try not to, but drunk Lily can't really promise anything. Sober Lily, however, will agree to that pact."
When he held out his pinky finger, her heart pattered in her chest. Yup, he could definitely be more adorable. She linked her finger with his to seal their pact before he turned to look behind them.
"All right, let me square my tab and slip a little extra so we can get taken out through the kitchens."
"A man who is after my own heart," Lily said as she placed her hands over her heart. "He knows all the escape routes!"
Rayko chuckled as he waved down the bartender. They spoke in low tones that Lily didn't bother to listen in on. Her gaze remained focused on the paparazzi, who seemed to be growing restless and looked like they were about to give up on their search for her.
A hand touched her elbow, and Rayko gestured with his head. She smiled at his extended elbow. She looped her arm through his and they disappeared off into the kitchens with the bartender. Several of the cooks stopped and pointed, whispering as Lily and Rayko kept their heads down as they made their way to the back door. Rayko shook the bartender's hand and slipped him a few more coins.
"For the cooks to keep quiet. We were never here, yeah?"
"I haven't the faintest idea who you are," the bartender replied. "Pleasure doing business with you."
Rayko nodded, and the two of them continued on their journey through the cobblestone streets of Apricity Lane. They walked in comfortable silence, their shoulders knocking against one another several times because of how close they were. Lily felt nearly giddy. Rayko had grown up like her, surrounded by the press and he seemed to be the first guy she had ever met who wasn't intimidated by the fact that she was the daughter of Harry Potter.
They stopped outside an even swankier-looking bar than the last one. It was one that Lily had never been in before. She glanced up at the gold and black sign that read Obscure beforethey slipped inside. Rayko asked for a secluded table, and the hostess led them immediately to the back of the bar. He motioned for Lily to sit down. As she slid into the booth, Rayko grabbed a potted plant and pulled it to towards their table. She let out a small chuckle of disbelief. He thought of everything.
"So, do you regularly sneak witches through kitchens and then hide them behind potted plants?"
"I reckon about as often as you find wizards in bars to snog you into hiding."
She bit her bottom lip. "So, just every other week, then?"
He laughed. "Precisely."
Lily carefully stepped out of her heels under the booth, slipping her legs under her as she sat. "All right then, let's play a game.
Rayko's brows furrowed. "Like a drinking game?"
"Ew, no!" Lily exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "Something way more fun. We both clearly know of each other. You're Rayko Krum and I'm Lily Potter, but I want to pretend you're not a Krum and you pretend I'm not a Potter. Let's just be Lily and Rayko, two normal people who are getting to know one another. We pretend like we've never read anything about each other before. We've just met."
Rayko smiled broadly. "Really? That would be brilliant."
"What can I get you tonight?" a pretty young server asked, a blush creeping on her cheeks as she shot Rayko a shy look.
"Can I have a Sex with a Troll?" Lily asked.
Rayko laughed boisterously. "Sex with a Troll? You know that the story is that after you drink a Sex with a Troll, you actually see a troll because of how shit-faced you become."
"What? I can hold my liquor," Lily said with a smirk. "Worried you won't keep up?"
Rayko's eyes sparkled. "Make that two Sex with a Trolls, two waters, two Merpeople Death Draught shots, and an order of chips with gravy."
Rayko reached into his jacket pocket and produced a handful of Galleons and extended them to the server saying he would appreciate her being discreet that they were in the bar. She nodded, depositing the coins in her pocket, and disappeared with their drink order.
"You certainly like being discreet," Lily commented.
"I hate when my picture is plastered in the newspapers. It's just easier this way. Is that… does it bother you?"
"That you're spending an exorbitant amount of money on tips to keep this little… whatever this is secret and off the front-page tomorrow? No, I'm grateful for your discretion and I might just snog you senseless at the end of the night as a thank you."
"I might hold you to that," he said. "All right, enough front-page talk, Lily. Tell me about yourself."
Lily shifted in her seat, her eyes finding their way to his lips again. She had never thought anyone had such kissable lips before.
"I'm Lily. I'm nineteen. I work in public relations with the Department of Magical Games and Sports. I have three older brothers, two nephews, and a niece that think I am the coolest aunt in the history of the world, which I am," Lily said before laughing. "I feel like I should say something about how I like long walks on the beach right about now."
"Only if you truly do."
"I enjoy the beach," Lily admitted as she flicked her long red hair behind her shoulder. "How about you?"
"I'm not opposed to the beach myself, but I rather like hiking in the mountains instead. I'm Rayko but my friends call me Ko. I'm twenty-three. I volunteer my time instead of holding down a traditional job. I have a little sister and a little brother."
Lily squinted at him behind her glasses, her lips pursing to the side. "Not interested in the nine-to-five life, Ko?"
He shrugged. "I was brought up being told I should do what I love. What I love to do doesn't pay so… I admit, I am guilty of living off a trust fund that my parents set up."
"I think my dad would strip me of my trust fund if I didn't hold down a job," Lily commented as the server appeared at their tables and set down their drinks and appetizer.
"Thank you," Rayko nodded, grabbing the alcoholic drink and taking a sip before turning his attention back to Lily. "It's not like I sit around all day drinking and throwing away my life."
"I didn't…" Lily sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be judgmental or imply that your volunteer work isn't a job. I just meant that my dad was always passionate about us finding something we loved to do. Where do you volunteer at?"
Rayko traced the rim of his glass. He looked like he was contemplating something. "You ever hear of Britain's Youth Quidditch Leagues?"
"Uh, yeah! My three-year-old nephew Remus is on the pee wee Weasleys Wizard Wheezes team. My uncle Ron coaches the team. My mum likes to show up at practices, too, and basically overtakes the practices. I swear, they spend more time bickering about how to coach a bunch of three- and four-year-olds than just having fun. None of the kids care. I mean, they're on kid brooms that barely come off the ground and just have a blast flying."
Rayko laughed. "Well, I dabble in coaching one of the junior teams, you know the eight- to eleven-year-olds. I also do a lot of the… behind the scenes work."
"I never knew you were involved in anything like that."
"I… I'm careful not to let many people know. I have it all set up under a fake name. I don't want the press showing up and ruining the fun for the kids and harassing the families. If my name isn't involved, they're less likely to want to come around." He took another drink, his eyes on hers. "I can't believe I just told you that. I've never told anyone outside of my close friends and family before."
A thrill ran through Lily at the thought that he would share it with her now. "Why a fake name just to volunteer unless… wait, are you KK Emilov? People have been trying to figure out who that was for years."
"KK… Ko Krum. Emilov is the maiden name of my dad's mum."
Lily grabbed a chip, squeezing it between her fingers before dunking it in the gravy. There was certainly more to Rayko Krum than the papers led on.
"Here I thought you were nothing more than the Playboy Prince," Lily said with a sly smirk.
"Hardly. I suppose you're more than the Potter Princess?"
"Oh no, that bit's true. I am my dad's little princess. I'm the favorite. Feel free to mention that to my brothers when you meet them. They all know."
Lily grinned as Rayko chuckled.
"A daddy's girl, then?"
"Oh, obviously and proud of it," she commented before she took a sip of her drink. "Does that scare you?"
"Depends. Do I have to duel the famous Harry Potter to take you on a proper date?"
Lily shrugged, butterflies sweeping through her stomach. "Depends on what you consider a proper date."
Rayko's bottom lip slid between his teeth as he stared at her. She held the stare, her lips quirking.
"All right, Potter Princess. Let's go to Paris."
Lily's mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?"
"I'm taking you on a proper date."
Lily let out a chuckle of disbelief. "In Paris? What? You already had a Portkey set up for tonight or something?"
"No, but I can make it happen," Rayko replied with a grin. "What do you say we just go to Paris for the weekend and get to know each other?"
Lily knew her father would absolutely murder her if he ever found out she went to another country with a man she had just met. Except it was too exciting to pass up. She had all her paperwork needed to travel out of the country in her pocketbook, because she never cleaned it out from her trip last week to Germany for work.
"Bold of you to assume I'm free the whole weekend."
He leaned in across the table. "Bold of you to assume I won't change your mind."
Lily bit her bottom lip and, before she could talk herself out of it, she found herself nodding. "Let's do it."
Rayko grinned at her, and Lily felt a fluttering in her chest. She was definitely in trouble.
Albus stared up at the ceiling with his hands folded neatly on his stomach, listening to Scorpius' soft snores next to him. He had been awake for hours, unable to sleep or even shut off his brain. Turning his head to the side, he saw the soft glow of the clock say it was a quarter to five. He couldn't stand lying in bed any longer, couldn't stand the odd quiet that engulfed their home at night.
Shoving the covers off him, he slid out of bed and glided his feet into a pair of slippers Scorpius had given him last Christmas. He carded a hand through his hair, flattening down the bedhead he surely had.
He padded across the room as quietly as he could before slipping out of the bedroom and made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He grabbed the kettle from the stove and filled it with water. He realized he forgot his wand on his bedside table and chuckled at the thought of his dad telling him to go nowhere without his wand, as though he would be attacked in his own kitchen in his heavily warded house that his parents paid an outrageous amount of money to secure for him.
Setting the kettle down on the stove, he decided to make his tea the Muggle way. He had seen his dad do it plenty of times growing up and figured they were of the same gene pool. Heating water without magic shouldn't be incredibly hard, even though he knew for a fact that Grandad had managed to burn a pot of water the Muggle way and had exasperated Aunt Hermione to no end.
He made his tea without any issues before adding his honey and milk and sitting down at the kitchen island, his hands wrapping around the steaming mug. He stared down at the liquid, his eyes squinting and almost daring the tea to do something. His lip twitched before he brought the cup up to his lips and gulped a few sips, the liquid burning his tongue and all the way down his throat. He could even feel the liquid simmering below his chest uncomfortably for a few moments.
He just wanted to shut off his brain, to not think, to not care. Except how does one go about not caring? Caring had been ingrained into him since he was a small child. Care about your family, your friends, complete strangers. Caring equaled love, and love was the ultimate weapon against evil. But who's to say simply not caring wouldn't be easier?
Albus worried his bottom lip. He was so tired. Tired of being told what to do and how to feel. Tired of being told to lie, to deceive, to keep secrets, and to even potentially hurt. Albus' hands rose up to his hair, his fingers coiling and tangling in the long strands.
Albus knew what needed to be done. He just didn't know exactly if his plan was completely foolish or brilliant. It was a toss-up either way. His dad had done a lot of brilliantly foolish things, but he was also aware of that fact that he was no Harry Potter.
He blinked down at his tea and tried to clear his mind. He needed more proof before he did anything. If the proof wasn't there, he was a dead man.
He rose from his barstool and switched on the wireless. He turned the volume down to a soft hum so he wouldn't wake Scorpius. He hummed along to the old Celestina Warbeck song, his mind escaping to simpler times at the Burrow when his biggest concern was avoiding James' pranks and convincing him which cousin he should target next instead of him. He sipped his tea, his lips curling as childhood memories bounced around in his head.
He started cleaning the kitchen to get his mind off everything, a habit he probably picked up from his Grandmum Molly who always obsessively cleaned when she was nervous or upset. Humming along to all the old tunes, he cleaned the Muggle way and even put some elbow grease into it.
When a knock sounded at his door a few hours later, Albus had polished every inch of the kitchen before Scorpius even woke up. Flipping the wireless off, he made his way to the front door. He peeked through the side panel of glass and frowned when he saw his father standing there.
Albus opened the door and motioned for his dad to step inside. "Morning. Pretty early to show up on a Saturday, isn't it?"
"You were always a morning person, Albus. It's not like I went to James' house," Harry said lightly as he entered the house.
"What's going on?"
"Have you seen your sister?"
Albus blinked, thinking quick. Was he supposed to be covering for her this weekend? They were supposed to meet for dinner last night, but in typical Lily fashion, she had never showed. If he told his dad that, he would have the entire family out searching for her and attempting to contact her and potentially the entire Department of Magical Law Enforcement out looking for her. She was probably just being a flake as per usual.
"She crashed here last night," Albus lied easily, his arms crossing over his bare chest.
"You're a terrible liar, Albus."
"If you don't believe me, why don't you just mirror call her?"
Harry sighed, carding a hand through his unruly salt and peppered hair. "Because she's an adult, and I'm trying to respect that. I don't want her to think that I'm being overbearing because I want to know where she is. I don't care what she does… I just want to make sure she's safe."
"I hate to break it to you, Dad, but all of us already think you're overbearing," Albus said with a smirk. "You've been a classic broomstick parent since the day we were born."
Harry frowned, shoving his hands into his trouser pockets. "I've really tried not to be."
"I know. It's fine. We still love you. You wouldn't be you if you weren't overly concerned for our well-being."
"Speaking of being overly concerned for your well-being, everything all right with you? I noticed you, Scorpius, and Lily were absent from Friday night dinner at the Burrow."
Albus shifted. "Yeah, we just wanted to go out for drinks."
"I've noticed you've been absent from Friday night dinner for a while now. Your grandparents have been asking if everything is okay," Harry pushed.
"You're being overbearing and paranoid again," Albus said in what he hoped was a light tone.
"I wouldn't be me if I wasn't, right?" Harry challenged, his eyebrows raising above his glasses and a smirk tugging on his lips.
"I'm fine, Dad."
Harry rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm always willing to talk even if I'm rubbish at it. Your mum and I know something has been bothering you for a while. Your mum is good with relationship talk, and I can be decent with work-related issues."
"Bloody hell, Dad. Please, stop. Scorpius and I are fine. Better than fine. It's just stress at work, nothing to worry about," Albus replied, a grimace on his face. "I'll make sure Lily calls you, all right? I'll be the overbearing brother."
"Thank you, Albus, but honestly if you want to ta-"
"You would be the first person I would turn to, all right?"
Harry nodded, though he didn't look entirely convinced. They bid their goodbyes. Albus shut the front door and turned around, leaning against the wood. Scorpius descended the stairs in his ridiculous satin robe he always wore with his matching slippers.
"Why didn't you tell your dad what's going on with work?" Scorpius questioned.
"Don't start, Scorpius."
"If there's anyone who would be able to help, it's your dad! He's the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!"
"Yeah, and he's one of the few good department heads there are. He can't get involved," Albus huffed, his head shaking. "I won't drag him into this. I'm not talking about this anymore. I shouldn't even have told you anything! Just forget I said anything, okay?"
Albus brushed past Scorpius on the stairs to get ready for the day. He missed the concerned look his boyfriend shot him as he made plans to contact his nomadic sister for their paranoid father and wished he had just stayed in bed.
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my new story! I am uploading earlier than my normal post schedule because I AM SO EXCITED for this story. Please, please, leave a review because they inspire me and I have been waiting on feedback for this story for over a month now. Next chapter will be posted September 5 and then I'll follow my weekly Sunday posting schedule. While most of my stories can be read as stand alone, technically I suppose this one could as well, it would help you understand the story more when past events are talked about if you have read the entire series of stories (a list of stories is in my profile).
Special thanks to Bell for editing and putting up with me churning out chapters on this.
Major amazing big super shout out to Breanie (author of A Second Chance, so check it out). She has been my constant co-writer, my sounding board, and just overall partner on this story. She has helped me develop the OCs, written future smut for the story, and generally just helped with scenes in general. She is a gem and amazing.