Fight the Future – Chapter 2
"Needful Things"
It was a well known fact, especially among the Slytherins, that a determined Lucius Malfoy was not one to be tangled with. His housemates had seen him in every manner of disposition and most could predict his mood simply by observing his walk. It was, therefore, no surprise that a group of second year Slytherins nearly threw themselves down the stairs in their attempts to avoid the obviously agitated seventh-year.
Lucius was highly frustrated and beginning to feel somewhat frantic. He'd left the potions classroom over an hour ago in search of Severus. Somehow, it seemed, the object of his search had vanished. There should be some sort of locator spell or map or something. Dinner was over and a quick glance verified that the great hall was empty. Of course, that check had only been made after a thorough investigation of their dorm room and the Slytherin common room. He'd looked in the library and even double-checked the potions room again. Still no Severus. Forced to admit defeat, Lucius returned to the Slytherin quarters to shower and change for bed. Lucius hoped that if he stayed in one place, perhaps Severus would eventually catch up to him.
---ooOoo---
James watched Lucius leave the potions classroom, certain that his new friend would feel better once Snape had been found. He hadn't missed the expressions on both the older and younger Lucius' faces when Severus died in the future. Again feeling assaulted by the memories, he wandered around the room, reliving the final moments he'd spent in that future. I can't leave it like that. I refuse to let those things happen.
James Potter left the dungeons that evening a different person. He had a specific purpose in life now, and it would be up to him to make sure it was fulfilled.
Lost in these thoughts, James didn't realize that his feet had been mechanically leading him to the seventh floor as opposed to Gryffindor tower. I just wish I could see him again, just once; the way things were just before that battle. I just wish Lily and I could have both spent some time with him, just having fun. It's so hard to deal with those final images. He was working himself into a frenzy, eyes tearing up as he paced the empty hall. I just wish there'd been another chance to see him smiling and laughing. I need to see him again. I need something positive to hang on to.
James stopped in his tracks as a now familiar door appeared in front of him, alerting him to exactly where he was. He turned around, looking at the tapestry that showed Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls to dance the ballet, to verify his location. Yes, this was definitely the Room of Requirement. He looked up and down the hall, and then put one hand on the doorknob. His thoughts of the last few moments came back to him, making him wonder what was behind that door. Before he could open it, Sirius, Remus and Lily came rushing around the corner. He looked up at them, taking in their relieved and confused looks. He felt his eyes stinging with unshed tears again as his mind was assailed with the knowledge of their deaths. It was mere moments before his best friends noticed his reaction.
"Oy, James, what's the long face for?" Sirius was always one to try making light of things when anyone was down. He could tell Prongs was feeling a bit down and very emotional, but he wasn't about to be girly enough to speak about it sincerely.
"Nothing, mate," James tried his best to smile genuinely. "Just glad to be home."
Remus eyed him skeptically. "Really? That's it?" His calm, amber gaze seemed to bore directly into James' brain. James didn't try to fool himself or anyone else. He couldn't. He felt Lily's gaze on him as well, and knew that she wouldn't accept an answer of 'nothing.'
"No. You're right. It's more than that. I just can't tell you any more right now. But I am very glad to be home." He turned to Lily and offered her a genuine smile. The first since before the battle that had destroyed his son. Their son. His smile broadened a bit at that thought. He and Lily would have a son. He reached for her, finally, desperate to have her in his arms, to feel her stability, after the horrors he had heard of their future. She was a little surprised at the intensity of his hug.
"It'll work out. There's time now," he muttered to himself as he hugged Lily to him tightly, the realization that it could all be different striking him suddenly. She had no idea what he meant, but it felt wonderful to be back in his arms. He was not going to lose them; not this time. His gloom vanished as he began to look at the future more optimistically. They mistook his grin, suspecting it was because he was now home.
"So, uh, Prongs?" Sirius seemed slightly nervous to be changing the subject, nevertheless, he forged ahead. "Where are we? I mean, we've been watching the map and when we saw that you were back we headed out to find you. Peter's in detention this evening, but we all wanted to see how it went. Anyway, what's this room here? It's not marked on the map. At least, we've never been here to mark it on the map before."
At the gesture toward the door, James looked back at it, wondering how long the "needs" would stay in the room if no one entered. The door was still there, so he took that to mean nothing had changed. He wondered if the others could handle whatever was behind that door. For that matter, he wondered if he could handle it.
Finally, he sighed and reached for the doorknob again. "Follow me," he said as he turned the knob. "I'll explain it all." He held onto Lily's other hand tightly as Sirius and Remus simply nodded.
The four of them entered the Room of Requirement and were met with a comfortable lounge, completely furnished with inviting armchairs and sofas, snacks, board games and a roaring fire. Standing in the middle of the room was one very confused Harry Potter.
---ooOoo---
James took one look inside the room, saw Harry standing there and closed his eyes in a silent prayer to the powers that be. I did this. I didn't mean to, but I did it. Please, anyone listening, don't let this make things worse. If he's here from that future, it can't be good. I don't think I could handle knowing about any other possible future right now, either. I just wanted to see him, without worries. Please?
Oblivious to James' internal pleas, Lily, Sirius and Remus were busy looking back and forth between their close friend James and this near mirror image. For his part, the mirror image was quickly taking mental note of those who had just entered and realized that there was only one who might be able to tell him why he was here. And for that matter, exactly where was here.
"Um, Da…" he paused, thinking. Perhaps it would be best to keep his connection a secret. "Er, uh, James?" The others looked at him, extremely confused by the similar appearance. His next words only served to add to their confusion as it was made clear that he knew them, despite the fact that they had no idea who he was. "Sirius? Remus? M-Lily? Where am I? James, do you know what's going on?"
Lily, Sirius and Remus stared blankly, then turned in unison to look at James, awaiting his response.
"Yes, Harry. It's me. I think I know why you're here, and I definitely know who you are. What I'm not sure of is where, exactly, you came from."
"Well, Jimmy," Sirius interjected, purposely using the nickname that James hated. "Why don't you fill the rest of us in a bit, since you obviously know a lot more about this than we do."
Lily turned to glare at Sirius, knowing James well enough to recognize that he was being oddly affected by the presence of this 'Harry'. "James," she began in her most calming tone. "I'm sure everything will be just fine. But we haven't been properly introduced. It's not every day we get to meet such a 'handsome' young man. Why don't you tell us where you two met? Is he a relative of yours or something?"
James couldn't contain his grin in response to that question. The irony of it was just too perfect. Hoping beyond hope that this knowledge wouldn't cause any serious time paradox problems, he decided that a filtered version of the truth would be the best way to handle ensuing questions. They'd have to know a little anyway. There's no way I could live the rest of my life without telling them anything about that trip.
"Yes. As a matter of fact, Harry is my son." Harry and James smiled at each other. It was a nearly identical, slightly crooked grin with a natural hint of mischief. What no one else knew was that each of them had radically different thoughts behind that smile. James could barely contain the relief of seeing Harry again, and he could tell by the energy coming off of his future son that this was definitely not the same Harry who had gone (or would go) on a destructive rampage. This was just a fairly average (if somewhat powerful) teenage boy. He seemed happy. It was nothing like the reaction James had seen upon his first encounter with Harry in the future. There was no sorrow, no suspicion, no anger. All he saw was a certain level of curiosity, probably due to the lack of explanation of his whereabouts.
Harry was certain this had something to do with another of his father's pranks. He'd heard so many stories of the famous Marauders, known throughout the school for the mischievous tricks they managed to pull on students, teachers, ghosts, house elves, and animals alike. No one could be considered safe from the well-known pranksters, especially in the height of their school days.
"Your … son?" Lily was the first to speak. She wasn't sure how to take that news. She looked between them in utter confusion. Both teenagers were looking back in her in barely concealed mirth. This boy appeared to be about the same age as her boyfriend, so they couldn't truly be father and son unless one of them was under an age concealment spell or someone had traveled through time. Either way, she couldn't help wondering what this meant for her future relationship with James. He'd asked her to marry him just before leaving for that secret project. She'd been talking to her friends about it, anxious for his return so they could discuss a proper timeframe for the wedding.
Lily knew that James was the only man she would ever care for, but she couldn't help worrying about this new development. If James were really old enough to have a teenage son, would he still want her? What would her parents think of that? Why hadn't he mentioned it before? Why was he in school, pretending to be a teenager himself? She looked at James expectantly, waiting for an explanation and wondering if he was indeed the same James that had left a week ago.
"Yes, Lils, look at him closely. You can tell." He smiled confidently and placed a reassuring hand around her waist. "Just take a look." James waited, as Lily seemed to silently gather her nerve before facing Harry. James watched while she took in the messy dark hair and the familiar strong jaw line, so like his own. James watched as her gaze swept over Harry's frame, knowing that she saw the similarities there as well. He watched her so closely that he knew the exact moment when she finally made eye contact with Harry. He felt the recognition and understanding in her before she had a chance to express it. There was no mistaking those eyes. They were an Evans trait for generations.
Harry saw it, too. He offered a bashful smile to his mother, feeling a little shy around the teenager for some reason. In fact, looking around the room, Harry felt a little shy around them all as he realized that if he didn't know they were his parents and godparents, he might very well have asked any of them out. Now there's a thought I may want to obliviate from my memory.
Lily smiled at her son, deciding that he must be from the future. She turned to James. "How? Why?"
Again, James went for a limited version of the truth. "Well, you all know that I was supposed to go to the future for that project of Dumbledore's right?" Three heads nodded, but Harry just turned and walked toward the sofa. "While I was there, I met a few people…you know that second year, Weasley? Charlie Weasley? I met his little brother. And I met Harry, here. And Malfoy's got a son in the future, too. He's the same age as Charlie's brother and Harry." He was careful not to say too much, unsure of what this version of Harry was familiar with. Glancing over to see the reaction from his son, he was a bit surprised to find that Harry was relaxing on the sofa and seemed to be paying little, if any, attention.
James continued his explanation as they all settled into the comfortable furniture, and basked in the warmth of the fire. "Anyway, while I was there, I also learned about this room. It will bring whatever you wish for if you think about it strongly enough while you're walking past it. So, I was just thinking how it would be nice to see Harry again and for you all to have the chance to meet him now. I just thought it was a cool idea, and well, here he is."
"Er… what were you doing before you came here Harry?" James was a little unsure of when this Harry had arrived from.
"Oh, I'm not really Harry. I mean, I am, but I'm not. I'm just sort of…essence of Harry. When you guys close that door, I'll cease to exist. I'm only here because you willed me to be." James realized that this made sense. He had wished to see his loving son, the boy he learned to love in a little under a week. He had wanted to see him smiling and happy, and here he was. He had just wanted to see him once more to help dull the pain of the horrifying final memories.
"So you don't remember…" James wants to know if perhaps he remembers stuff about their visit.
"I know lots of things about Harry, but some of them are a bit vague right now…"
"Well, what do you remember? I'm sure your Mother is interested in knowing more about you…"
Lily was still stunned at this vision before her. The likeness was uncanny, with a wisdom belying his years in those green eyes.
"Well, I'm in my seventh year at Hogwarts, like you…" Harry looks at the head boy and girl badges on his parents. "I'm seeker for the house Quidditch team…"
"Youngest seeker in a century…" James said proudly. Harry nodded, something in him wondering how his father knew things about him, but no one else did.
Remus nudged Sirius and rolled his eyes. "Of course, there's no chance that our good friend James will become one of those pompous fathers that brags constantly and thinks their kid is the best in the world." Sirius laughed at the sarcasm as he reached for a chocolate frog from the table. James just looked at the two in mock anger, knowing too much about this 'kid' to bother defending himself.
"So, Harry," Sirius looked at his friend's son in curiosity. "It's not often we get to meet people that aren't born yet. What else can you tell us? You obviously know us. So we must all be friends in the future, right? Peter and the rest of us?"
Harry smiled. "You're my godparents, of course I know you. Peter, I don't know him as well. He's one of those vague things for some reason."
James wondered what that meant, and if there was a chance that Peter wouldn't betray them in this new future. Before he could dwell on it too long, he was distracted by Sirius' next question.
"We're both your godparents? That's kind of odd, isn't it? I mean," he looked Lily. "Wouldn't you want a godfather and a godmother?"
Harry laughed. "It's a little vague, too. I just know I've gotten a lot of care from you both."
"Do either of us have any children?" Remus asked the question so quietly it could have gone unheard. He'd always wondered if he would be able to have children, and if the lycanthropy would be passed on to them.
"I'm sorry, I don't know. You might, but I just can't remember." Remus nodded and looked to Sirius for support, trying to hold on to his hope that he would someday have a child of his own.
Sirius offered a gentle smile to the werewolf, completely aware of the thoughts on his mind. Another glance at Harry had him wondering about the idea of he and Remus both being godparents. What exactly did that mean? He knew that one purpose of godparents (aside from spoiling children rotten) was to raise the child in the absence of birth parents. Would there be some reason in the future for Lily and James to expect him and Remus to be living together? After all, wouldn't that make sense when choosing godparents?
Lily decided someone needed to break the silence, so she searched for something else to talk about. "So, Harry, do you know how you've been doing in school? What are you favorite classes?"
"Oh, I do all right. Better in some classes than others, of course. My favorite overall is Defense Against the Dark Arts. There've been a few different professors for it, but we've had one great one."
"Well, I think that's a great subject for you, especially as strong as you are," James said. He hadn't missed the sly glance in Remus' direction. He thought back to Hermione's mention of 'Professor Lupin' and couldn't help grinning.
"I guess I am pretty powerful," he said modestly. "It helps, though, when you have a decent instructor." Harry was still looking at Remus as he made that comment.
"Yes, I think he will make a great professor." James retorted as he shared a mischievous grin with son, going along with the joke.
Sirius finally asked. "Who?"
"Remus."
"What?" Remus looked up in shock from the pumpkin pasty he'd been unwrapping.
"You." Harry grinned widely. It was always fun to catch his godparents off guard, and he'd really managed to do it well with this news.
"Me? A professor? Defense professor?"
"Yep. And a good one, too." James smiled at his friend. "Of course, I suppose that could change. You do have free will and just because I knew about it doesn't mean it'll definitely happen." He said this as lightly as possible, but inside he was using it as a reminder that all those things could change now. He hoped the deaths of his closest friends would be some of those changes.
"So, Harry," Lily wanted to know more about her son. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
James coughed a bit, trying to cover up a laugh. He didn't know if Harry was interested in both girls and boys, or just boys. It was one of those things they'd never had the chance to talk much about. He had noticed, however, that this Harry seemed to be checking out his future godparents.
Harry smiled at his dad's cough, wondering exactly how much the man knew about this aspect of his life. "I've had at least one, briefly, but …" He glanced at Sirius and Remus again. Lily and Sirius seemed to recognize this at about the same time. She blushed and noticed that Sirius suddenly got quite squirmy. Remus, however, was still lost in thoughts of becoming a professor.
"Well, uh, Remus?" Sirius was nervous. He hated feeling nervous but this was a situation he just didn't know how to deal with. "Why don't we head back? We should be meeting Peter after his detention anyway."
"Sure. It was nice to meet you Harry. I'll be looking forward to meeting the real you one day."
"Yeah, take it easy, kid," Sirius couldn't understand how Remus could be so oblivious when people were interested in him. Of course, he'd always been that way. It was one of the things Sirius found so endearing about him. Shaking his head at that thought, he quickly left the room before things could get any stranger. Remus smiled at the strange behavior and followed him out.
"So, do, uh, do you have a boyfriend?" Lily asked tentatively.
"I don't really remember." He sounded a little distant, even slightly sad, as he thought about this, trying to remember some details of his love life.
"We should probably be going, too," James said softly. He didn't want to press his luck with this 'essence of Harry' situation.
Lily nodded, but hesitated looking at Harry. She wanted to give him a hug, but wasn't sure if he would be comfortable with that. Before she could think too much about it, he came up to her and enveloped her in a warm hug. I'm going to be a Mum. Wow, that's intense.
James hugged him as well, somewhat comforted by spending this time with him. He liked the idea that he could find this specter of Harry at any time in the Room of Requirement. It wasn't quite the same as the real Harry, but perhaps as he and Lucius worked on their plan, the future would become more stable. If that happened, maybe this Harry would have more knowledge of his own life. Yes, he would definitely be looking for Harry on the seventh floor again.
~~ooOoo~~
Lucius shivered as the cool dungeon air hit his still damp body. He was amazed at how quickly he'd gotten used to the warmer climate of Gryffindor tower. The hot shower had been wonderful, but he was looking forward to drying off better and putting on some pajamas. His thoughts returned to Severus, once again wondering where he could possibly be hiding. I really didn't want to wait on this. I need to see him. I need to know that he's all right. He wondered if he would be able to explain everything to Severus without sounding like a candidate for the mental ward of St. Mungo's.
Lost in his own thoughts, Lucius never heard the dormitory door open behind him. He pulled the towel from around his waist and reached for the silk bedclothes. Having long since decided that underwear was a hindrance, he slipped into the silk bottoms without delay. Only then did he feel the eyes on him and turn around.
"Sev!" He barely got the name out before a lump formed in his throat, his emotions running high at the first glimpse of the man he knew he loved. He opened his mouth again to speak, but the words simply would not form in his brain. He had no coherent thoughts, just jumbled feelings of joy and relief mixed with a little dread and regret. Lucius forced himself to remember what James and Dumbledore had said about having time to fix things. That had to mean there was time to save Severus. His eyes began to water at the thoughts of the final battle and the hopes of preventing its occurrence.
"Lucius, are you all right?" Severus had tried to conceal his longing the moment Lucius turned around, but now he spoke out of pure concern. He couldn't remember ever seeing Lucius look so distraught. For that matter, he couldn't remember ever seeing Lucius look so mature. It was as if something had aged him at least five or ten years in the past week. Oh, it didn't show on his face, he still had the classic, youthful beauty of a seventeen-year-old aristocrat. It was in the eyes. As if his very soul had aged.
Lucius swallowed quickly, blinking away the tears that threatened to ruin his delicate grasp on composure. "I'm fine, sorry. It must be exhaustion. It's been a busy week."
Severus simply stood there, nodding slightly, but his mind was elsewhere. Something was different, not just with Lucius, but something in the familiar longing and desire Severus had felt toward Lucius for some time. He couldn't pinpoint the feeling, but he knew without a doubt that something had changed. He nodded once again, still a bit uncertain. "You should get some rest, then." He sent a mental command to his feet. They were supposed to turn him around and take him out of the room. It was the logical thing to do. After all, Lucius would rest much better if he were left alone. And once Severus' feet obeyed his orders, Lucius would be alone in the dorm room. Somehow, his feet just didn't seem to be getting the message.
Lucius felt the pull between them, which brought their bond to the forefront of his thoughts. He knew that their bonds of friendship had been strong before he left. The forming junctum aeternus had been strengthening quickly during his time in the future and he had no doubts that the bond was finalized with Sev's decision to jump in front of the killing curse. He'd felt it, he'd seen it in Sev's eyes as well. He could even see it in the older version of himself. It was there, firm and unbreakable. Lucius thought back to Dumbledore's explanation that this bond would even cross time streams. It's as if he knew this would happen. Like he knew that Harry and Draco would have different futures. He looked into Severus' coal black eyes, recognizing the confusion there, and took a deep breath. Like he knew we all would. "Sev, wait."
It seemed an odd statement, considering Severus hadn't actually been moving, but they both knew what it meant. There was something happening here. Something big that they were both standing on the precipice of; and all they had to do was take that final leap together.
"What is it?"
Lucius tried to think clearly, to find the best way to explain things. He knew he would need to tell Severus the whole story. It would be the only way to explain his need to marry Narcissa Black. He just hoped Sev would understand. He couldn't stand to lose him again. Taking a deep breath, he sat on the bed and decided to start slow. I need to talk to you. Yes, that's a good start. "I need you." So much for starting slow.
"I beg your pardon?"
"I…" Lucius felt the tears pooling in his eyes again. It was true. He needed Sev. He needed this release. "I need you, Sev. Please?" Please don't run. Please don't hate me. Please don't let this be a mistake.
There was no mistaking the myriad of emotions in those dark eyes as Severus walked slowly across the room. He was confused and nervous, but also hopeful and happy. He reached for Lucius' hand and tentatively stroked the back of it with his thumb. Searching deep in the eyes of his friend, he slowly stepped closer, closer, until they were nearly nose to nose. The affirmation he saw in those familiar blue eyes was enough to bolster his courage. His right hand moved up to caress Lucius' cheek, the slender fingers cupping his jaw as his thumb gently wiped away one fallen tear.
Finally, he couldn't take the anticipation any longer and he claimed those lips he'd been dreaming of. The touch was electrifying, shooting both their heart rates up, and driving powerful emotions into a physical sensation that coursed through them, between them and back again. Within mere moments, they were engulfed in swirling sparks and shooting strands of surging power. Severus kept his right hand on Lucius' face as his left reached around the blonde's waist to pull them closer together.
Lucius worked both hands into the silky black hair that he'd admired for so long, then asked permission to deepen the kiss by quickly running his tongue over Sev's bottom lip. The gasp he received sent chills down his spine. As they deepened the kiss the surging power surrounding them grew denser and sent tendrils throughout the magical conduits in the castle.
Far from the dungeons, in a circular office behind a stone gargoyle, the Headmaster's twinkling eyes recognized those tendrils of magic and he smiled at the thought that two of his students had found a strong enough love to trigger a junctum aeternus bond. "It's about time."
They finally broke the kiss, pressing their foreheads together as they both willed their breathing and heartbeats to slow to something closer to normal. Once he caught his breath, Severus raised his head and looked around at the remnants of the magical outpouring. "Sweet Merlin, Luc. What was that?"
"It's a long story, Sev. I'll explain. I promise I will. But first… I know this may seem a little rash but I've been thinking about it for a long time. I swear it's not as sudden as it seems, but I've just been afraid to tell you…" He stopped when Severus placed one finger across his lips. Their eyes met and at once they knew their souls were speaking to each other. Severus finally understood the different and stronger pull he'd been feeling. He didn't know how, or when, but he certainly knew why.
He smiled. "I know. I love you too, Lucius."
~TBC~
Okay, you readers are all wonderful and fabulous! I can't believe the reviews, you flatter me! Many thanks to moonysgurl, jazzylady, death, aspid, jen red robe and menecarkawan.
Jaded Eros: thank you for the kind words, you are wonderful! I'm very glad that you can recognize the influence but it wasn't too obvious, that's exactly what I was aiming for. As for the review addiction, I don't think there's a solution. Aside from, of course, getting more reviews!
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Mortadella: I never thought of giving the series a name. Should I? I never thought much beyond this, but when I read your review I suddenly got attacked by plot bunnies for a third installment. I'm very frightened now. Thanks for reading, I hope you continue to enjoy it.
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While you're waiting for the next update, be sure to check out my profile and read Per Solum Lacuna: By Words Alone. It's a collaboration combining my efforts with Azhure's. I do hope you'll let us know if you decide to read it.
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