In general Jamea had always slept well. Katherine claimed a few times that as a toddler they had to make big crashing noises to wake him up. Of course, that wasn't very true but he did sleep like a log. But there were always exceptions.

Jamea tossed in his sleep tonight. He was seeing horrors in his dreams, odd scenarios and just plain confusing things.

He was looking into two eyes, as red as his hair. The man with the strange eyes was laughing a terrible laugh that wasn't made for human ears. The man was deathly skinny and had a strange, horrible face.

"Give him back!" Was that his annoying father in the background? "I said GIVE HIM BACK!"

Suddenly a bump in his room and Jamea woke up, sweating bullets. What had that dream meant?

*Nothing, stupid * he chided himself. * Dreams aren't real. * He fell asleep, not bothering to see what had awoken him. Kat slipped out of her room, an ironic grin on her face.

~*

When Jamea woke up, his hair was bleached an unnatural blonde color.

~*

"IT WAS YOU!" Jamea yelled into Harry's face. "I KNOW IT WAS YOU! JUST LOOK AT MY HAIR!"

"It's very blonde." Harry said. "But I didn't do it."

"THAT'S A LOAD OF SHIT, AND YOU KNOW IT!"

"Jamea! Watch your language. You're in enough trouble as it is."

"I can't believe you did that!"

"He didn't do anything, Jamea." Katherine said walking into the kitchen, twirling her wand.

"What?"

"I did it." Katherine replied calmly. "Red really wasn't your color."

Harry had to laugh at the look of murder on his son's face.

"You- you-"

"Calm down Jamea." Harry said. "Not only is it only hair that GROWS, you can now take markers and actually color your hair tie die like you always wanted to when you were little."

"Shut up Dad." Jamea said coldly.

"Don't speak to your father that way!" Katherine said loudly.

"You guys are terrible! You don't understand me at all!"

"Now, I wouldn't go that far-" Harry started.

"I HATE YOU!" Jamea screamed.

"What?" Katherine said.

"I HATE YOU!" Jamea repeated louder. "YOU ARE HORRIBLE PARENTS CAUGHT UP IN THE CORPORATE WORLD THINKING OF NOTHING BUT YOURSELVES."

"That's not true, Jamea." Harry said, trying to control his temper. "We love you."

"Sure you do!" Jamea snorted. Harry clenched his fists so hard he started bleeding.

"I don't think you should talk about things you don't know a thing about." He said tensely.

"But I DO know!" Jamea said. "I know you don't care about me! I heard you talking the other night about my potential."

"Yes, all the potential you haven't used. It's still there!" Katherine said. "We want to know why you haven't used it! You could be so smart-" She stopped talking.

"Oh so that's it. You're sad because you got a stupid kid, is it?"

"That wasn't what I meant-"

"I see what happened now. Harry Potter, big and popular dated you, the school beauty and slut. He got you pregnant and he felt bad so he married you."

Harry had had enough with this. He smacked Jamea with strength. Then he paled and looked at Katherine who was on the brink of tears. He looked at his son, who looked scared.

"I'm s- sorry." Harry said in an odd voice that didn't sound like him. He reached out an arm. "I didn't mean to-"

"DON'T YOU TOUCH ME!" Jamea screamed and ran into his room, breathing deeply.

"I'm going to be sick." Harry said and rushed into the bathroom.

~* ~*


"Hello Jamea." Sirius said pleasantly one morning in August.

"I didn't know you were coming out, Sirius." Jamea said. Sirius had told him at a very young age that he was too young to be a grandfather, so he was to call him his normal name.

"Shh. Neither do your parents." He replied with a wink.

"I'm glad you're here." He confessed and hugged him. Sirius looked a little confused at this display of affection but hugged him back.

"Are you okay, Jamea?" He asked.

"Of course. I just can't stand my parents. They're just so- so-"

"In your business?" Sirius said. Jamea nodded. "It's because they care about you know. They want to part of your life."

Jamea snorted. "Yeah. You should talk to them about caring about me."

"I know they care about you, Jamea. They've made sacrifices you wouldn't believe-"

"Oh like what?"

Sirius paled. He had almost let something slip. He thought and said. "When you were a baby your parents -forgot- about all their friends to make sure you didn't starve and that you had a roof over your head."

"That's not that amazing." Jamea said. "It happens with all teen pregnancies."

Sirius gulped.

Harry walked into the room with Katherine. "Dad!" Katherine cried and ran to hug him. "What're you doing here?"

"Making sure you aren't dead. Harry you haven't been in the press since you won most charming smile!"

"Oh shuckie darn." Harry said. "What a tragedy."

Jamea laughed. Harry (still felt quite ashamed) met his eyes for a second but Jamea stopped laughing, glared and looked away. Harry's heart sank.

"I'm going in to work." Harry said sadly. "Are you staying for a while Sirius?"

"Of course."

"I'll see you for dinner then."

"Bye!"

"Bye."

~* ~*

"Jamea." Sirius caught his grandson's arm before he headed to his room after his parents left.

"Yeah?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Sure. What about?"

"Your father." Sirius said, quite serious.

"What about him?" Jamea said coldly.

"You're killing him."

"How do you mean?"

"He's had a really tough life, Jamea."

"So have I." Jamea said.

"No you haven't." Sirius said and looked at him piercingly.

"Yeah, well what's so special about his life?"

"He never met his parents. Every year he was in school he barely escaped death. Except in his third year, when he met me. He still has dreams about the times too. I've heard about what's happened to him first hand. It's frightening things."

"Oh like what. Why do I affect it?"

"Well, he was tortured when he was your age and earlier. It's amazing to experts that he still knows his own mind. "

"He was? Why don't they tell me this stuff?"

"They didn't want you to know. Even I don't pretend to know all that has happened to him."

"So he has some bad memories. That has nothing to do with me."

"He made sacrifices for you when you were born. He would have died for you then, and he would die for you now. Can you say the same, Jamea?"

"No." Jamea said quietly. "I can't."

"Why is that?"

"Because I don't like him."

"Why?"

"He's a bad father."

"Now that I wont accept!"

"He hit me last week." Jamea said. "And it hurt."

Sirius put cool fingers under Jamea's chin and made him look him in the eyes. "I know it's wrong for a parent to strike a child, but did you say something to provoke him into it?"

"No." Jamea lied, looking at him eye for eye. "He just hit me."

~* ~*

"So Harry." Sirius said business like to Harry when they were alone. "I heard you hit Jamea."

Harry stiffened for a moment. "He told you that did he? Did he tell you WHY in god's name I hit him?"

"He told me that there was no reason, Harry." Sirius said.

Harry took a few deep breaths. "That's crap."

"Well do you care to enlighten me?"

"He said that he knew how he came into this world. He said that I was probably Mr. Popularity and that Katherine was the school slut. Then he went on to say that I dated her and got her pregnant. Then he said that I only married her out of pity, Sirius. What would you've done?"

"I would have smacked him too." Sirius admitted slowly. "No wait…scratch that…I would have strangled him!"

"See?" Harry said.

"But you shouldn't have hit him anyway, Harry."

"I know." Harry said. "My temper caught up with me. I threw up afterwards anyway."

"You did?"

"I felt horrible!" Harry said. "Did you ever hit a child?"

"No."

"Well it makes you sick." Harry said. "And now he wont even talk to me, or look me in the eye."

"Well you hit him."

"He provoked me!"

"It's not an excuse." Sirius said.

"I know that." Harry spat. "And I'm a terrible father because I hit him, but he just doesn't understand."

"Well you don't tell him anything that happened!"

"Sirius, you agreed with the idea! He would be scared or ashamed if he knew what happened that night!"

"I think he might be proud."

"No." Harry said flatly. "It's better that he doesn't know."


"Why is it better?"

"I checked the grave last month." Harry said flatly.

"Yes?" Sirius said. "What about the grave?"

"I'm not sure." Harry said. "It seemed DIFFERENT."

"Different?" Sirius whispered. "How do you mean."

"The earth on top of *him * was a little higher than the earth around it." Harry said. "The little marker by the grave was lopsided. Just little things like that."

"You think he's-"

"No." Harry said. "I killed him. Katherine and I killed him. I saw him die."

"Looks can be deceiving, you know that Harry."

"He's dead." Harry said. "I know he's dead."

"Then why is there fear behind your eyes?" Sirius said knowledgeably. "Harry, you have to keep checking it. You have to make sure he doesn't come back. You'll be dead. Katherine will be dead. Jamea will be killed to, or turned against you."

"It's a little too late for that."

"Harry!" Sirius said sharply.

"No, Sirius. He hates me. I can face the truth."

"He doesn't hate you."

"Yes he does, he told me so himself. He's convincing when he yells, too."

"He was mad, okay? Katherine screwed up his hair and you sided with her and you said something to him. It's just the way teenagers are. They say things they don't mean. You remember when you were in school and dating Kat?"

"Yes."

"You told me once that you hated me. And did you really hate me?"

"No." Harry said and brightened up a bit.

"See, there you go."
~* ~*

"Psst! Jamea!"

Jamea, who was getting ready for bed, only wearing long baggy flannel pants, jumped and swirled around.

"Who is it?" Jamea asked. He strained his eyes out the window. "Lindsay? Is that you?"

"No dope face, its Voldemort! Back from the grave to kill you…" The girl said sarcastically.

"Get in here!" Jamea said. The girl, Lindsay jumped through his window and Jamea hugged her. "You have to be quiet. If my dad catches you in here, he'll kill me!"

"Okay. Well…" She said. "You'll never guess why I'm here!"

"You're right, I wont." Jamea said. "Why *are * you here?"

"There's a party downtown I couldn't let you miss."

"Seriously?" Jamea said. "That's great! But if my parents catch me…"

"They won't catch you."

"I'm game, then."

And the two slipped out into the night.

~* ~*

The next morning it was clear that Jamea wasn't with the rest of the world. He sauntered into the kitchen with an idiotic grin on his face and he ran into the chair before sitting in it. He was a mix of drunk and terrible hangover.

"Good morning, Jamea." Katherine said. "Would you like some toast?"

"Who is toast?"

"What?" Kat said.

"Did you know that the ceiling- hic- is in the top of the house?" Jamea said. "It's really odd…"

"Jamea, what's wrong with you?" Harry asked.

"No, no! I don't want a rabbit, mum. But can I have a puppy instead?"

"JAMEA POTTER!" Katherine yelled. She walked over to him, waving a wooden spoon like a sword. "Where were you last night?"

"Never-never land." Jamea said. He looked out the window. "Wow…theskyreallyblue."

"Look at me." Katherine commanded. Jamea looked at her and crossed his eyes. He then proceeded to suck in his cheeks and wiggle his ears.

"I'm a jelly fish!" He said. "Oogle boogle bang!"

Katherine let out a snort. "Jamea, you're drunk."

Jamea cocked his head to the side, still with a "jelly fish" look on his face. He attempted to talk. "Yesh!"

Harry's face was rather red with fury. Sirius put a hand on his shoulder, warning him not to do anything.

But he didn't think about Harry's powers. Suddenly, the glass Harry was holding blew up. Katherine jumped.

"GO TO YOUR ROOM AND DON'T YOU EVEN DARE COME OUT UNTIL I TELL YOU TOO! I'M VERY DISAPOINTED IN YOU JAMEA! GO!"

Jamea looked a little freaked when he ran to his room. Silently he cleaned up the mess he had made.

"I swear he lives to make me mad." He said, breaking the silence.

"Harry you need to learn to control your temper." Katherine said.

"And in turn he needs to behave." Harry said. "I'm so pissed at that kid! He doesn't realize the danger he puts himself in!"

"Funny." Sirius said. "I think I told Remus the same thing when you started sneaking out of school at nights."

~* ~*