1

Ianto sat blinking with confusion as he looked into the basket.

"But … I barely knew him" Ianto said softly, reaching out to let the baby grasp his finger.

"Look, it's either you or her sister's family." He was told, "Muggles."

"Technically, I'm a bloody muggle!" Ianto bristled.

"Ianto, James was your big brother. He wanted you to care for little Harry. Please, do you really want that … that bigot to get her claws into this wee child?" Dumbledore knew he had Ianto's attention when the sigh was accompanied by a shake of the head.

"You just have to help him until he's of school age, you know we'll take him off your hands then" Dumbledore begged.

"I don't … I have a job, responsibilities and I've just stuffed up majorly sending something to T3 that I shouldn't have, I don't know how my boss will respond to this" Ianto pointed out, the one last straw to cling to. "You know James saw me as weak. He cast me out and labelled me a muggle!"

"Yvonne knows about us" Dumbledore told him with a gentle smile, "Torchwood has an agreement with us, not to interfere with our rules."

Ianto sighed and looked down again at the wee bub, Lisa was not going to allow this.

"I'm sorry Professor," Ianto said with genuine sorrow, "My wife-to-be doesn't want children."

.

.

.

The doorbell woke Ianto and he rolled off the sofa with a soft curse, pulling open the door with a good mouthful of abuse for Jack.

Or Owen.

Or whoever drew the short straw to make sure he hadn't cut his wrists.

"Hagrid?"

"Hello Ianto" the large man said, pushing past him and into the small squat.

"Hagrid?" Ianto repeated as he saw the small toddler entering behind him, hugging an owl's cage.

Then he saw the scar.

"Oh god. Really?" Ianto spluttered, "I thought the professor had given up on this."

"He lives in a cupboard under the stairs" Hagrid said softly. "They hate him and he is treated like a slave. Like a house elf."

Ianto stalled out as he looked at the small tot.

"He's … what? Three?" Ianto deflated and Hagrid smiled. "He only looks two. Are they starving him?"

"Yes. Just gone three. Please Ianto, you were always a good boy, be a good man."

"Not fair" Ianto huffed, watching the child as he tottered over to the cat sleeping on the sofa and cooed as he gently touched its head.

"That's Moses" Ianto said softly, "He's grumpy."

Harry looked up at him with huge eyes, a small smile as he reached for Ianto and Ianto cursed softly as he felt his heart melt.

"How am I going to do this" Ianto asked sadly.

"You're a wizard Ianto." Hagrid snorted, "As powerful as James. You just need to believe in yourself as we believe in you."

"I don't even have my wand" Ianto huffed, "I threw it at James when he sent me away."

"This wand?" Hagrid produced a blue wand from his robes, "James never forgave himself for what happened. He kept this. He tried to reach out to you, so many times but you never forgave him. You really think he would want to see this little one be treated like he treated you?"

"Hagrid! Dirty pool!" Ianto growled as he snatched the wand, feeling the warmth travel down his wrist as the wand woke up.

"See?" Hagrid smiled. "A wizard."

"Yeah, well add a sorry mess in big trouble to that title!" Ianto sighed.

A scuff of boots has Ianto swinging around, the wand pointed as he stepped in front of the child with a snarl forming.

The desire to protect his baby counteracting any fear.

Jack blinked in the doorway as he looked at the giant in Ianto's living room, "Ianto?"