Give me one more chance
Chapter 18: Fudge must pay
Pairings: James/Lucius
Rating: Kneazle
Disclaimer: The characters of Harry Potter are not mine; they are the property of JK Rowling and Warner Bros. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
W A R N I N G: This is about male pregnancy (possibly) and male/male relationships. I'm letting you know now what the relationships WILL contain. So, if you are AGAINST such pairings, please find something else more to your liking, you have been WARNED.
Flames will be ignored.
Notes: Oh, my gosh! It's been quite some time since I've last updated and I apologize for such a long wait. I've been working on Family and beta-reading as well as working on my yahoo group. I'm accepting members if any one is interested in joining. And let's not forget real life. But I ask that you (my fantastic and faituful readers) be patient with me. I will do my best to not take as long to post the next chapter. Well, enough of my endless chatter. Enjoy!
Beta-read by: Jadwiga. Thanks hon! You're the best. Any mistakes after she has done her work are mine.
Summary: Twenty-one year James Potter finds himself in a precarious situation after he split with his boyfriend. Only his friends and family knows about it, but what happens when his ex-lover comes back?
Special thank you to: Slytherin vs Gryffindor yahoo group, Merrymow, ladtiya, Lively48, and for those who read and didn't review thank you for even taking the time read up to this chapter.
Enjoy!
OOoOoOo
Darkness.
It was dark. It was very dark and yet, it was also warm and quiet. No one could bother him here in this happy peaceful place. The Dementors must have left his cell to go off and torment some other poor soul.
Sirius stretched out in his bed, rubbing his head on the feather soft pillow.
Wait-a-minute! When did I acquire a bed? Sirius asked himself as he opened his eyes to assess where he was.
"Good morning, Siri."
That voice! He recognized that voice. The silky gentle tone traveled along his body, teasing all his nerve endings. Sirius stared into the darkest pair of eyes that had haunted his dreams.
"Sev…Severus?"
Black,luxurious long hair danced back and forth in affirmation.
"I must be dreaming. You look so stunning even after all these years. I've aged terribly and look horrid."
"I've glad that I still appeal to you, Siri, but like most soul bond mates, once the separated pair is reunited they are restored to the age they were originally at the time of separation. So, in actuality we're thirty-five years of age. However, we appear to be in our mid-twenties. You should see James and Lucius."
Sirius gawked at his husband—his young handsome husband. Then another thought came to him.
"Where are the kids? I want to see them." His kids must be big. The last Sirius saw the twins were when they were twelve months old. Would they even remember him? He doubt it, they were too little.
"They're in their respective houses, but there is something I must tell you first before I take you to see them."
Sitting up higher in the bed, Sirius took his lover's smooth hands into his own, giving Severus encouragement.
"When you were arrested, Dumbledore did everything that he could think of for you to remain here at the castle. Lucius tried as well to no avail. Fudge was hell bent on making sure you never saw the light of day—ever. Your being in Azkaban, accused of crimes you didn't commit, gave the Ministry of Magic free reign to seize our joint accounts as well as Regulus' accounts.
"The stress of taking care of the twins by myself, as well as keeping the Ministry off my back because of my involvement with You-Know-Who was too much for me to handle on my own so that I lost them."
Severus bowed his head to keep his composure, but it was difficult for him for he had never been able to express his emotions properly. Yet, he knew that he could let his guard down in front of his spouse.
"Lost who, love?" Sirius asked with such tenderness that Severus gave a heartfelt sigh and sniffled.
Looking back into grey eyes the Potion master replied, "I was five months pregnant with another set of twins. Poppy told that idiot Fudge what would happen if he took you away from me. He was the reason why. He bloody well knew that I was pregnant and he still sent you to Azkaban."
Severus was near hysterics. "Fudge killed our unborn children!"
oOoOoOo
For the days following Sirius Black's capture by Octavious Snape, Hogwarts had been in a state of absolute pandemonium. Howlers by the dozen dropped in every day at Dumbledore's place setting in the Great Hall from concerned parents and citizens.
Along with howlers for Remus as his lycanthropy was now known. Even worse, howlers were sent to Severus for the mere fact that he was married to a murderer, which didn't please You-Know-Who. His Dark mark burned constantly until the Headmaster had to put a binding spell over the hideous tattoo after Severus had passed out during one of his lectures.
On the third day, Fudge came calling with Dementors and Aurors after reassuring the wizarding community that Black would get Kissed, but he stated that would not happen if his office were inundated with people and owls.
So, here was Fudge standing in the middle of the Headmaster's bi-level office with his Aurors, seeing as the Dementors were no longer permitted to roam Hogwarts grounds after nearly killing Harry during a Quidditch match in the first term. Also along with the Minister of Magic were Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, Calhoun (Malfoy's lawyer), the Deputy Headmistress, and the convict, Sirius Black.
Fudge had to do a double take of Black and Snape. Both wizards were radiating (as what Fudge could only describe as) fire.
For starters, Snape no longer looked used and washed-out. Beautiful long black hair bounced whenever he moved his head. He smiled briefly at something Black whispered in his ear showing sparking blinding pearly white teeth. His skin glowed as if he was touched by the moon goddess, Artemis. Snape glanced momentarily at the Minister and the Aurors and they all had the same reaction, they gasped. Obsidian orbs trapped them within their inky depths. Whatever spell Snape cast their way was shattered as he focused back on his husband.
Just like Snape, Sirius was a beauty of heavenliness. Surely his prolonged stay in Azkaban would have withered his aristocratic good looks but no. Black was stunning in his rich flowing robes as he stood proudly next to Snape, carding his hand through curly raven locks. He must have said something indecent as Snape's cheeks were dusted a pretty rose.
Even Lucius Malfoy was a sight to behold. White-blond hair hung neatly off his shoulders, his eyes a dazzling silver-bluish color. Did they always standout? No, it must be the lighting in Dumbledore's office. No one's eyes could be that captivating, but they were.
Something's not right. What the devil is going on? Fudge pondered, wanting to get to the bottom of this.
The Minister found it very hard to concentrate on what the Headmaster was saying; his eyes kept wandering back to Snape and Black, and on occasion, Malfoy. Lucius sneered when he caught Fudge's wandering eyes. The man coughed but didn't dare look Malfoy's way for some time.
"…so you see, Cornelius, this will no doubt have negative repercussions," Dumbledore finished.
He didn't quite understand what was said, so Fudge just went for his usual response, "You can't be serious?!"
"No, I'm Sirius. He's Albus." Muffled giggles broke out around the office but Fudge didn't find Sirius' little snide comment humorous in the least.
"What Headmaster Dumbledore is trying to say is that you, personally I might add, prosecuted a wizard without due process or a trial for the murders of 13 Muggles, James Potter-Malfoy and Lily Evans. On top of that, you lied to the Wiszengamot about Harry being safer with Miss Evan's sister then with his own father, when in fact he was not," Calhoun stated as a matter of fact but was just getting started. Pulling out a stack of legal parchments he then handed them over to Fudge.
"What's this?"
"You, Cornelius Fudge, are hereby served to appear in court as stated. You are being sued by the Malfoy and Black families for child endangerment, wrongful imprisonment, personal pain and suffering and anything else I can string your arse up on."
Needless to say, Dumbledore and Minerva were quite impressed with the young wizard.
"You can't talk to me like I'm some commoner! I'm the Minister of Magic! How dare you!"
"No, Fudge, how dare you take away a child barely one year old from his father and place him with people who didn't know one damn thing about rearing wizard! How dare you send an innocent man to prison without hearing all the facts! How dare you cause undo suffering to both of these families!
"And don't tell me that you were doing it for the greater good. You weren't thinking about Harry or Severus. They were the ones who suffered the most out of all this! You're just about as bad as Voldemort. At least that manic has an excuse—you don't. My clients and I will see you in court. Good-day, Minister."
Calhoun wound up the end of his tirade by dismissing Fudge as if he were a wayward child. The Minister sputtered disbelievingly.
"Albus, you are not condoning such misguided actions?"
"I did warn you, Cornelius, that you were making a grave mistake by removing young Harry from his father's care, and I also warned you to allow Sirius to remain here at Hogwarts under my supervision, but you did not, and as a result Harry has been subjected to physical, emotional, and verbal abuse. Mr. Black's mind has been literally raped by the Dementors.
"His abrupt incarceration led to the miscarriage of his husband's second pregnancy. It has been documented by Madame Pomfrey, that you were informed that by removing Sirius from his soul mate, it would result in Severus losing their child." Dumbledore paused to peer at Fudge over his half-moon glasses with an all-knowing eye. "Need I go on, Cornelius?"
Fudge sighed in defeat. The Aurors behind him could only gape at the man in charge of the Wizarding Law Enforcement. Was this someone they wanted over the welfare of the people? Just listening to Headmaster Dumbledore and the attorney, the answer would be no. The British wizarding community did not need somebody like Fudge in office. They already had a madman running about, they didn't need two!
So, with that in mind, the Aurors gently escorted a protesting Fudge from the school along with the Dementors.
oOoOoOo
A week later, the preliminary hearing was held. Calhoun had advised Lucius to keep James at home. His spouse was their trump card and Calhoun wasn't going to show his hand just yet. He also advised Sirius to stay at home, since he was still considered a convicted murderer. It was for the best.
With Albus and Poppy's testimonies, it should be enough to go to trial and get Fudge thrown out of office.
By the end of the preliminary, Fudge stormed out of the court arena. The Judge could not deny what was presented as actual or not could he dismiss the allegations that were entered to him and the Wizengamot. A court date was scheduled for next month.
The Malfoys and the Blacks couldn't be any happier.
oOoOoOo
Currently, James was in the kitchen of his new home making dinner when Lucius and Lucien arrived. His father-in-law had been out it for a while. The man looked dreadful; James had never seen Lucien this unkempt. Apparently, Octavious had knocked Lucien upside the head with one of the Headmaster's freestanding doodads. The Potions master hit his friend so hard that Lucien was unconscious for a few days, but the older Slytherin wouldn't have it any other way.
None of them told Lucius of the real reason why Octiavious had struck his father—that would open a whole another can of worms. And they knew without a doubt that Lucius would hunt Narcissa down and kill her for what she had done to his son.
Dumbledore did spin a lovely story that Narcissa was there at the school and she had wanted to see Draco, but Lucien had intervened and they had gone for each other's throats. The main point was that Octavious did what he had to do to keep Lucien from casting that Unforgivable.
"Hello, James," Lucien greeted weakly, amazed that the young man before him was cooking. "You know, we do have house elves to do that sort of thing."
"Hi! And yes, I know, but I needed to do something, I hope you don't mind," James said pulling a tray of dinner rolls out from the stove. The former Gryffindor always went to the kitchen when he was bothered by something and couldn't simply rest. And cooking was the best therapy for him.
Standing behind his husband, ignoring his father, Lucius leaned in to whisper in James' ear. "I do hope you have enough." Then he reached around to lift one of the lids revealing a rich red sauce bubbling merrily away in an extremely large stockpot.
Looking back over his shoulder, James asked, "Um… that depends on how many people I should expect. Last I checked, only you, Lucien and I were having dinner together, but I have enough for at least ten. Why?" James said as he chopped onions then garlic along with celery and a variety of bell peppers.
Lucien watched his son-in-law with rapt interest as he gracefully moved around the kitchen with ease. Never before had he seen someone work with such finesse and style—even the house elves were clumsy at preparing the food with the use of magic no less. But James was all hands on—no magic whatsoever.
"Sirius and Severus will be joining us."
James stopped his chopping and placed his cutting knife next to his work board. Tears gathered in his eyes.
"Are they okay?" he asked, wiping the water from his eyes with the back of his hand.
Instantly, Lucius was by his side and wrapped his arms around his lover. "Shh, there's no need to cry, love," he soothed. His father had taken his leave to give them privacy.
"I'm crying because the onions are strong."
Pulling away from his shorter spouse, Lucius blinked before feeling the burning sting of the powerful bulb. Laughter rang out in the wide-open kitchen for the first time in over thirteen years.
oOo TBC oOo
A/N: How is that? So, Calhoun got the ball rolling on Fudge. Did you love how he took over and told Fudge off? Want to see what Calhoun does to Fudge in the court? Well, to find out you need to stay tuned for the next chapter.
Nemesis
oOoOo Teaser for Chapter 19 oOoOo
"I've decided that after the twins' last year at Hogwarts, I'm resigning my post."
"Why, Severus?" James asked setting his cup down.
"Yes, Severus, tell us why?" Lucius was curious as well.
"I'm tired, Lucius. My cover as spy is now blown for the mere fact that Voldemort found out about my marriage to Sirius, no thanks to that Skeeter woman," Severus explained.