Disclaimer: I own nothing you may recognise in any of my fics. I simply
borrow the odd character and play with them a little.
Not Alone Anymore.
Summary: Five years after it all ends, Harry returns to his first home. But he's not alone and old faces' he never thought he'd see again resurface.
~~~
It had been five years since Voldemort had fallen for the final time; five years since the Wizarding world had to fear death from walking out their front doors; five years since Hogwarts had graduated a hero; five years since Harry James Potter had left it all behind.
Now here Harry silently stood at the gates of the school he'd more than a few times named 'home'. In his arms sat a 4½-year-old girl with waste length loosely curled jet-black hair. Her eyes shone a vibrant, cheerful golden colour that made anyone who looked in them smile warmly.
Harry started to walk up the familiar roadway that led to the infamous wizarding school; the track that had been treated to Thestral drawn carriages half an hour previous. The reason for Harry being here still eluded him. Oh he knew the job he was going into; the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher as well as the Duelling instructor. How he got here though was what ticked him off.
Minerva McGonagall had found him four months ago, much to his dismay. Of course, Minerva being who she was was straight to the point. She needed a new DADA professor and duelling instructor. So who better than Harry? Right? Harry had turned the job down immediately. Although this caused his old Transfigurations Professor to annoy him even more.
So, after 3 ½ months of constant badgering, annoying speeches, pleading and simple, logical reasoning, Harry had relented, albeit grudgingly.
The green eyed man had reached the front door 10 minutes later to find them opening on their own, welcoming him back. Sighing, he crossed over the threshold. He was not 5 ft within the castle when a familiar 'humming' sound played the back of his mind. He chuckled lightly.
"Good to be back old girl. I missed you too." He whispered to the castle itself whilst patting a nearby wall before moving on towards the Great Hall.
These doors did not open for him this time, for this he was thankful. He could hear the excited buzz of students and teachers enjoying their welcoming feast behind the large, finely carved doors.
Harry looked down to the girl in his arms and couldn't help but smile and she grinned back up at him with a mischievous glint in her young eyes. "Should we make a big entrance, Lily? Your Grandfather would expect nothing short of us..." He joked and the girl bounced happily in the confines of her fathers' arms.
"Yeah Daddy!" She said in excitement. Harry laughed at the child's enthusiasm.
"Ok. You have to help me though. Hand out, like this..." He proceeded to stretch out his arm in front of him, his hand forming a claw like shape. The child mirrored his actions. "Right. On three say 'adaperio'. One... two... Three!"
"Adaperio!" They both called out loudly and the doors burst open.
The hall had fallen silent and Harry looked down at Lily. "Now that's team work." He high-fived a small hand, turned and saw a smiling headmistress looking down at them.
"Ah, Headmistress! You must forgive my lateness. I was instructed to walk up the drive because little Miss here wanted to, and I quote, 'See the pretty flowers'." He bowed dramatically causing Lily to bow too, much to her displeasure. A few scattered chuckles were heard from the staff members.
"It is quite alright Mr Potter. If you and your young friend would like to come up to the head table and take your seats... I will get the formal introductions out of the way." She addressed her former student and his beautiful child with a respect-filled smile.
As the pair made their way to their seats, whispers broke out over the hall. Harry simply ignored them. He'd managed well enough in his youth. When they were seated finally, McGonagall rose from her seat and addressed the students.
"Well, it seems our wait has ended. Your new DADA professor this year will be Mr Potter. Mr Potter will also be Head of Gryffindor house as well as duelling instructor. He deserves respect and has worked damn hard to gain it. You will show him this courtesy; I expect nothing less from Hogwarts students." Applause swept across the hall like wild fire, but none as loud as the Gryffindor table. "Now! Carry on with dinner!" The headmistress said as the applause died down and everyone realised they still had food on their plates.
The noise of students conversing with one another quickly filled the hall as Harry and Lily got acquainted with new and old Professors until it was time for them to leave and head up to Harry and Lily's suite. He had said his good nights to his colleagues and exited the hall, walking with a purpose to the third floor corridor Dumbledore had 'conveniently' forgotten to inform the students was safe again.
Harry and Lily had stopped at a painting of Merlin himself and the young wizard smiled politely.
"Ah, young Harry. And oh my, who is this? Another Lily Potter. Very beautiful I must say." The painting winked at the blushing girl stood beside Harry and the portrait laughed.
"Good evening Merlin you old coot. I'd love to chat, but Lily needs to get to bed. It's getting late." He said with a smile to the painting he'd spoke to a lot in his final two years at Hogwarts. "Carnation." Harry spoke clearly the password
"Quite right. Mr Dobby; the House Elf? He said he left the thing you asked him to leave out on the breakfast bar. Good night now." The Portrait swung open to let Harry and Lily through. Once inside, Harry picked up his daughter and sat her up on the breakfast bar. He picked up the small goblet and gave it to her.
"Lily, come on. Drink it all sweetie." He urged the girl to drink, which she did, a look of disgust played on her young features when the goblet had been emptied.
"S'orible daddy!" She complained with a huff. Harry laughed lightly.
"I know darling. It's for the best though. Now! Bath time deary." The girl's eyes widened and she tried to jump down from the bar but Harry caught her round her middle. "You don't want to be smelly do you? They'll all call you smelly Lily, they will." He teased as he carried the wriggling child into the bathroom.
He sat her on the toilet with the lid down and pointed a finger at her in a warning manner. "Stay." He ordered and proceeded to turn on the taps to the unnaturally large bath.
The whole bathroom was made out in black marble; the bath, sink, shower, toilet, floor and the tiles on the wall. The taps and drains (plugholes) were brass. It was exquisite. When the bathwater was at the correct temperature, Harry rid Lily of her clothing and lowered her carefully in to the warm water. Almost immediately, the child started splashing her father.
20 minutes and the loss of Harry's shirt and trousers later, they were both sat on beanbags in front of the fire drying off.
"Must you drench me 'every' time?" He asked the golden-eyed girl, already knowing the reply.
"Splashy splashy!" She clapped her hands together in glee causing Harry to laugh again.
"I'll splashy splashy you in a minute. Come here, you need your pyjama's on." He managed to wrestle her into her pyjamas within 10 minutes. A new record!
There was a knock at the door interrupting them and Lily jumped up, running over to open it. Before Harry could stop her, the girl had the door open and she was looking up at three wide-eyed men.
"Daddy!" She called out and Harry came up behind her, scooping her up in his arms.
"Calm down Lily." He cooed, then looked up at the men, his own eyes widening. "N-no... It's not possible..." He took a step back from the door and made to close it, but one of the men stepped in the room. He was tall with hazel green eyes, his black hair wild and seemingly untameable.
"Harry." The man said softly. He looked at the younger wizard and the child with love in his eyes. "Harry, please. We're here to talk to you." He reached out a hand to Harry but the latter retreated further, clutching onto the girl tightly.
"No. Leave us alone... Why did you come here? NO!" He shook his head trying to will them away, but the men stayed put. Unshed tears welled up in his eyes. He would not cry. A tear got passed his defences and he felt a small hand brush it away. His eyes opened and stared into the golden ones of his child.
"Daddy? Why you cry? Did the strange men hurt you?" She asked him.
"No, love." Harry kissed her forehead before turning back to the men who were now all in the room, with the door closed firmly. "Why are you doing this to me? Leave us alone." He spoke firmly, but his eyes showed the hurt, confusion and sorrow etched in his heart.
"Harry." A man with sandy hair and slightly tanned skin stepped forward.
"No! You died! I saw you die!" He turned to the last man. "You too. I was there! You can't be here!" He got a tighter hold on his daughter and moved over to one of the beanbags he'd been using before.
"We're very much alive, Harry. Remus didn't die in the war. He was in a coma. By the time he came round you'd been gone 5 years. Sirius performed a spell to go back through the veil after a lot of time spent looking for one that was relatively fool proof. And I followed him. Harry, you have to believe us." The man with the unruly hair tried, his eyes pleading.
"I'm happy. I'm with my child and I'm happy. DAMMIT WHY NOW?" Harry roared, frightening the child in his arms. His hard eyes immediately softened. "I'm sorry sweety. Shh, don't cry Lily." He whispered to the girl who was whimpering quietly.
"Harry," The sandy-haired man spoke up softly. "Please Harry. You're the most powerful wizard alive; do you think we'd risk our lives coming here as we are if we weren't thinking about telling you the truth?" He took a step forward and Harry kept his eyes trained on Lily. "Harry, ask Lily. She can tell if we are lying or not." At Lily's name, Harry's head snapped up and he held the girl more tightly to his chest, though careful not to cause her discomfort.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Harry concentrated and let down one layer of his defences. When he opened them, the sandy-haired man had gasped out loud and looked at Harry in disbelief.
"W-why?" He stammered. The other two men were now looking confused.
"It was the only way to keep Lily safe; to keep her sane." He looked down at the bundle in his arms again. "I'd do anything for her. Even that! It's the least I could do for allowing her father to die."
"B-but, I didn't die. I could have kept her company on full moons. I could have-"
"But you weren't there Remus! I thought you had died. Our bond! I severed it, I concentrated solely on taking care of Lily. Oh I hurt because of you but I wasn't about to let it consume me. I couldn't feel you for two whole years. Then I simply gave up hope. My mark is still there, though the bond is not. Remus I had to do what I did. She... I... I couldn't let her go through the same pain you did as you were growing up." He said, almost as a whisper. He'd allowed a few tears to flow down his cheeks and cursed himself for his weakness.
"What's going on? What are you talking about?" Demanded the man with the long black hair and blue eyes.
"H-Harry allowed Lily to bite him... On the full moon." Remus had explained as though it pained him greatly.
"You did WHAT?" The first man with the unruly hair yelled. When Lily had flinched at the tone, Harry glared at the man.
"Keep your tone respectable or I will throw you from the room. I don't care who the hell you are." The young father said calmly and then stood up. He walked over to a door at the other side of the room and opened it. "Come on Lily. I think you've had enough excitement for one evening." He tucked his daughter into bed and kissed her on the forehead.
"G'night daddy." The child yawned and her eyes shut slowly. Silently, he left the room, casting a protection spell over the bed before he closed the door.
Without even acknowledging the three men, Harry made his way to a fairly large cabinet. Upon opening it, he retrieved two bottles of a purple potion. He walked to the kitchen area and took out two goblets; after taking off the stasis charm he'd placed on the potion's he emptied their contents into each goblet.
"Lupus Potion. I am the only one capable of brewing it, as no one even knows of it's existence yet. Take it." He spoke to Remus without looking at him and drank his own potion down in three gulps. The older wizard walked over to the breakfast bar where the potion was sitting; smoke billowing over the brim. He picked up the goblet and drank down the contents.
Gathering his wits about him, Harry turned to face the men with a neutral face. "I did what I did because I. Had. To. Protect. My. Daughter!" He spoke through gritted teeth. "You think I would allow the ministry to take her away from me because she was born werewolf? I did the only thing I could do. The ministry can take a werewolf child from a human parent. It's the law dammit. You know what, every fucker knows that. But if the parent is a werewolf then the ministry has no viable cause to remove the child from his or her care." He paced around in front of the shocked men.
"Even IF Remus had been here. The ministry would have taken her away from us. I was human, the boy-who-fucking-lived no less, and as far as they were concerned, Lily was a risk. You have to understand. I only allowed her to bite me because they were coming to take her away!" He stopped pacing and looked directly at Remus.
"What would you have done if your pup was about to be ripped away from you? Answer me that Remus." Sighing, Harry slumped on the sofa and put his head in his hands.
"The fact still remains that you allowed an infant werewolf bite you. Lily could be executed for that!" The man with the messy hair spoke quietly and Harry's head snapped up so fast, his neck cracked.
"The fact means exactly nothing to me. When I was born... HAD the ministry tried to remove me from 'your' care, would you have allowed them to? Would you have done all you can to keep me home with you and mom? Well? Or have you spent so many years dead that your parental instincts have lessened slightly." He spat, looking away from the man he'd once recognised as his father.
"Of course I wouldn't have let them take you away! But we're not talking about you and me. We're talking about Lily and you! You should not have allowed her to bite you, no matter what!" It happened so fast that the man hadn't seen it coming at all. Harry had jumped up from his seat and punched the man square in the jaw, knocking him to the floor.
"I PROTECTED MY DAUGHTER! I didn't want her to grow up with someone other than parent... like I did." He didn't care if the blow was low, the man deserved it. "How dare you lecture me on parental issues? You have all of 15 month experience!"
"Harry, he's just worried about you," Remus glared at the floored man. "'Aren't' you James?" James got up and brushed the dust from his robes.
"I know I don't have much experience with being a Father. But that's hardly my fault is it?" the man ran a hand through his hair. He seemed to do that whenever he was nervous now and not when he was trying to show off, like Harry remembered seeing in that pensive back in fifth year.
"You will not question my actions, you will not mention any of this to anyone outside this room and you will never raise your voice in my daughter's presence again. Is that clear?" Harry growled out through gritted teeth, but the man did answer.
"Harry, he won't. Trust me." The third man smiled at the young father and Harry was reminded of his Godfather before he'd died.
"I've missed you Sirius." Harry whispered and was rewarded when the man swept him up in a bone-crushing hug.
"I've missed you too Harry."
"Daddy?" The sleepy voice of Lily Potter was heard from across the room and Harry's attention was immediately on her.
"What's the matter sweetheart?" He knelt down in front of her, worry in his eyes.
"Nuffin'. I heard voices, came out here. Saw you hugging one of those men. Who is he? And him?" She pointed at James. "Heh, he looks like you daddy" She giggled but as her eyes fell on Remus, all her giggling stopped and she just stared. After a minute of silence she released herself from Harry's hold and walked over to the amber-eyed man, looking at him in curiosity.
She recognised him some how but couldn't place his identity anywhere. Frowning at the less than helpful information her eyes were giving her, she grasped onto the front of his robes and pulled him down into a kneeling position. Then she ran her hands over his face as she wracked her brain trying to remember him. Finally, she decided that she might be able to recognise his scent better than sight or touch, so she lowered her sense dulling defences and immediately her eye widened.
"Daddy?" She whispered before launching herself at the kneeling man. Remus was too shocked to respond at first but he soon shook himself out of his daze and hugged her back tightly. Harry watched on, smiling happily at the two in front of him.
Things would be ok now. He wasn't alone anymore.
~~~
I wrote this god knows how many months ago. I actually thought I'd lost it but the other day I stumbled upon it once more and thought I might as well put it up here.
To be honest, I'm not sure what to think of it myself but hey ho.
Review!
Thank you!!
Not Alone Anymore.
Summary: Five years after it all ends, Harry returns to his first home. But he's not alone and old faces' he never thought he'd see again resurface.
~~~
It had been five years since Voldemort had fallen for the final time; five years since the Wizarding world had to fear death from walking out their front doors; five years since Hogwarts had graduated a hero; five years since Harry James Potter had left it all behind.
Now here Harry silently stood at the gates of the school he'd more than a few times named 'home'. In his arms sat a 4½-year-old girl with waste length loosely curled jet-black hair. Her eyes shone a vibrant, cheerful golden colour that made anyone who looked in them smile warmly.
Harry started to walk up the familiar roadway that led to the infamous wizarding school; the track that had been treated to Thestral drawn carriages half an hour previous. The reason for Harry being here still eluded him. Oh he knew the job he was going into; the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher as well as the Duelling instructor. How he got here though was what ticked him off.
Minerva McGonagall had found him four months ago, much to his dismay. Of course, Minerva being who she was was straight to the point. She needed a new DADA professor and duelling instructor. So who better than Harry? Right? Harry had turned the job down immediately. Although this caused his old Transfigurations Professor to annoy him even more.
So, after 3 ½ months of constant badgering, annoying speeches, pleading and simple, logical reasoning, Harry had relented, albeit grudgingly.
The green eyed man had reached the front door 10 minutes later to find them opening on their own, welcoming him back. Sighing, he crossed over the threshold. He was not 5 ft within the castle when a familiar 'humming' sound played the back of his mind. He chuckled lightly.
"Good to be back old girl. I missed you too." He whispered to the castle itself whilst patting a nearby wall before moving on towards the Great Hall.
These doors did not open for him this time, for this he was thankful. He could hear the excited buzz of students and teachers enjoying their welcoming feast behind the large, finely carved doors.
Harry looked down to the girl in his arms and couldn't help but smile and she grinned back up at him with a mischievous glint in her young eyes. "Should we make a big entrance, Lily? Your Grandfather would expect nothing short of us..." He joked and the girl bounced happily in the confines of her fathers' arms.
"Yeah Daddy!" She said in excitement. Harry laughed at the child's enthusiasm.
"Ok. You have to help me though. Hand out, like this..." He proceeded to stretch out his arm in front of him, his hand forming a claw like shape. The child mirrored his actions. "Right. On three say 'adaperio'. One... two... Three!"
"Adaperio!" They both called out loudly and the doors burst open.
The hall had fallen silent and Harry looked down at Lily. "Now that's team work." He high-fived a small hand, turned and saw a smiling headmistress looking down at them.
"Ah, Headmistress! You must forgive my lateness. I was instructed to walk up the drive because little Miss here wanted to, and I quote, 'See the pretty flowers'." He bowed dramatically causing Lily to bow too, much to her displeasure. A few scattered chuckles were heard from the staff members.
"It is quite alright Mr Potter. If you and your young friend would like to come up to the head table and take your seats... I will get the formal introductions out of the way." She addressed her former student and his beautiful child with a respect-filled smile.
As the pair made their way to their seats, whispers broke out over the hall. Harry simply ignored them. He'd managed well enough in his youth. When they were seated finally, McGonagall rose from her seat and addressed the students.
"Well, it seems our wait has ended. Your new DADA professor this year will be Mr Potter. Mr Potter will also be Head of Gryffindor house as well as duelling instructor. He deserves respect and has worked damn hard to gain it. You will show him this courtesy; I expect nothing less from Hogwarts students." Applause swept across the hall like wild fire, but none as loud as the Gryffindor table. "Now! Carry on with dinner!" The headmistress said as the applause died down and everyone realised they still had food on their plates.
The noise of students conversing with one another quickly filled the hall as Harry and Lily got acquainted with new and old Professors until it was time for them to leave and head up to Harry and Lily's suite. He had said his good nights to his colleagues and exited the hall, walking with a purpose to the third floor corridor Dumbledore had 'conveniently' forgotten to inform the students was safe again.
Harry and Lily had stopped at a painting of Merlin himself and the young wizard smiled politely.
"Ah, young Harry. And oh my, who is this? Another Lily Potter. Very beautiful I must say." The painting winked at the blushing girl stood beside Harry and the portrait laughed.
"Good evening Merlin you old coot. I'd love to chat, but Lily needs to get to bed. It's getting late." He said with a smile to the painting he'd spoke to a lot in his final two years at Hogwarts. "Carnation." Harry spoke clearly the password
"Quite right. Mr Dobby; the House Elf? He said he left the thing you asked him to leave out on the breakfast bar. Good night now." The Portrait swung open to let Harry and Lily through. Once inside, Harry picked up his daughter and sat her up on the breakfast bar. He picked up the small goblet and gave it to her.
"Lily, come on. Drink it all sweetie." He urged the girl to drink, which she did, a look of disgust played on her young features when the goblet had been emptied.
"S'orible daddy!" She complained with a huff. Harry laughed lightly.
"I know darling. It's for the best though. Now! Bath time deary." The girl's eyes widened and she tried to jump down from the bar but Harry caught her round her middle. "You don't want to be smelly do you? They'll all call you smelly Lily, they will." He teased as he carried the wriggling child into the bathroom.
He sat her on the toilet with the lid down and pointed a finger at her in a warning manner. "Stay." He ordered and proceeded to turn on the taps to the unnaturally large bath.
The whole bathroom was made out in black marble; the bath, sink, shower, toilet, floor and the tiles on the wall. The taps and drains (plugholes) were brass. It was exquisite. When the bathwater was at the correct temperature, Harry rid Lily of her clothing and lowered her carefully in to the warm water. Almost immediately, the child started splashing her father.
20 minutes and the loss of Harry's shirt and trousers later, they were both sat on beanbags in front of the fire drying off.
"Must you drench me 'every' time?" He asked the golden-eyed girl, already knowing the reply.
"Splashy splashy!" She clapped her hands together in glee causing Harry to laugh again.
"I'll splashy splashy you in a minute. Come here, you need your pyjama's on." He managed to wrestle her into her pyjamas within 10 minutes. A new record!
There was a knock at the door interrupting them and Lily jumped up, running over to open it. Before Harry could stop her, the girl had the door open and she was looking up at three wide-eyed men.
"Daddy!" She called out and Harry came up behind her, scooping her up in his arms.
"Calm down Lily." He cooed, then looked up at the men, his own eyes widening. "N-no... It's not possible..." He took a step back from the door and made to close it, but one of the men stepped in the room. He was tall with hazel green eyes, his black hair wild and seemingly untameable.
"Harry." The man said softly. He looked at the younger wizard and the child with love in his eyes. "Harry, please. We're here to talk to you." He reached out a hand to Harry but the latter retreated further, clutching onto the girl tightly.
"No. Leave us alone... Why did you come here? NO!" He shook his head trying to will them away, but the men stayed put. Unshed tears welled up in his eyes. He would not cry. A tear got passed his defences and he felt a small hand brush it away. His eyes opened and stared into the golden ones of his child.
"Daddy? Why you cry? Did the strange men hurt you?" She asked him.
"No, love." Harry kissed her forehead before turning back to the men who were now all in the room, with the door closed firmly. "Why are you doing this to me? Leave us alone." He spoke firmly, but his eyes showed the hurt, confusion and sorrow etched in his heart.
"Harry." A man with sandy hair and slightly tanned skin stepped forward.
"No! You died! I saw you die!" He turned to the last man. "You too. I was there! You can't be here!" He got a tighter hold on his daughter and moved over to one of the beanbags he'd been using before.
"We're very much alive, Harry. Remus didn't die in the war. He was in a coma. By the time he came round you'd been gone 5 years. Sirius performed a spell to go back through the veil after a lot of time spent looking for one that was relatively fool proof. And I followed him. Harry, you have to believe us." The man with the unruly hair tried, his eyes pleading.
"I'm happy. I'm with my child and I'm happy. DAMMIT WHY NOW?" Harry roared, frightening the child in his arms. His hard eyes immediately softened. "I'm sorry sweety. Shh, don't cry Lily." He whispered to the girl who was whimpering quietly.
"Harry," The sandy-haired man spoke up softly. "Please Harry. You're the most powerful wizard alive; do you think we'd risk our lives coming here as we are if we weren't thinking about telling you the truth?" He took a step forward and Harry kept his eyes trained on Lily. "Harry, ask Lily. She can tell if we are lying or not." At Lily's name, Harry's head snapped up and he held the girl more tightly to his chest, though careful not to cause her discomfort.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Harry concentrated and let down one layer of his defences. When he opened them, the sandy-haired man had gasped out loud and looked at Harry in disbelief.
"W-why?" He stammered. The other two men were now looking confused.
"It was the only way to keep Lily safe; to keep her sane." He looked down at the bundle in his arms again. "I'd do anything for her. Even that! It's the least I could do for allowing her father to die."
"B-but, I didn't die. I could have kept her company on full moons. I could have-"
"But you weren't there Remus! I thought you had died. Our bond! I severed it, I concentrated solely on taking care of Lily. Oh I hurt because of you but I wasn't about to let it consume me. I couldn't feel you for two whole years. Then I simply gave up hope. My mark is still there, though the bond is not. Remus I had to do what I did. She... I... I couldn't let her go through the same pain you did as you were growing up." He said, almost as a whisper. He'd allowed a few tears to flow down his cheeks and cursed himself for his weakness.
"What's going on? What are you talking about?" Demanded the man with the long black hair and blue eyes.
"H-Harry allowed Lily to bite him... On the full moon." Remus had explained as though it pained him greatly.
"You did WHAT?" The first man with the unruly hair yelled. When Lily had flinched at the tone, Harry glared at the man.
"Keep your tone respectable or I will throw you from the room. I don't care who the hell you are." The young father said calmly and then stood up. He walked over to a door at the other side of the room and opened it. "Come on Lily. I think you've had enough excitement for one evening." He tucked his daughter into bed and kissed her on the forehead.
"G'night daddy." The child yawned and her eyes shut slowly. Silently, he left the room, casting a protection spell over the bed before he closed the door.
Without even acknowledging the three men, Harry made his way to a fairly large cabinet. Upon opening it, he retrieved two bottles of a purple potion. He walked to the kitchen area and took out two goblets; after taking off the stasis charm he'd placed on the potion's he emptied their contents into each goblet.
"Lupus Potion. I am the only one capable of brewing it, as no one even knows of it's existence yet. Take it." He spoke to Remus without looking at him and drank his own potion down in three gulps. The older wizard walked over to the breakfast bar where the potion was sitting; smoke billowing over the brim. He picked up the goblet and drank down the contents.
Gathering his wits about him, Harry turned to face the men with a neutral face. "I did what I did because I. Had. To. Protect. My. Daughter!" He spoke through gritted teeth. "You think I would allow the ministry to take her away from me because she was born werewolf? I did the only thing I could do. The ministry can take a werewolf child from a human parent. It's the law dammit. You know what, every fucker knows that. But if the parent is a werewolf then the ministry has no viable cause to remove the child from his or her care." He paced around in front of the shocked men.
"Even IF Remus had been here. The ministry would have taken her away from us. I was human, the boy-who-fucking-lived no less, and as far as they were concerned, Lily was a risk. You have to understand. I only allowed her to bite me because they were coming to take her away!" He stopped pacing and looked directly at Remus.
"What would you have done if your pup was about to be ripped away from you? Answer me that Remus." Sighing, Harry slumped on the sofa and put his head in his hands.
"The fact still remains that you allowed an infant werewolf bite you. Lily could be executed for that!" The man with the messy hair spoke quietly and Harry's head snapped up so fast, his neck cracked.
"The fact means exactly nothing to me. When I was born... HAD the ministry tried to remove me from 'your' care, would you have allowed them to? Would you have done all you can to keep me home with you and mom? Well? Or have you spent so many years dead that your parental instincts have lessened slightly." He spat, looking away from the man he'd once recognised as his father.
"Of course I wouldn't have let them take you away! But we're not talking about you and me. We're talking about Lily and you! You should not have allowed her to bite you, no matter what!" It happened so fast that the man hadn't seen it coming at all. Harry had jumped up from his seat and punched the man square in the jaw, knocking him to the floor.
"I PROTECTED MY DAUGHTER! I didn't want her to grow up with someone other than parent... like I did." He didn't care if the blow was low, the man deserved it. "How dare you lecture me on parental issues? You have all of 15 month experience!"
"Harry, he's just worried about you," Remus glared at the floored man. "'Aren't' you James?" James got up and brushed the dust from his robes.
"I know I don't have much experience with being a Father. But that's hardly my fault is it?" the man ran a hand through his hair. He seemed to do that whenever he was nervous now and not when he was trying to show off, like Harry remembered seeing in that pensive back in fifth year.
"You will not question my actions, you will not mention any of this to anyone outside this room and you will never raise your voice in my daughter's presence again. Is that clear?" Harry growled out through gritted teeth, but the man did answer.
"Harry, he won't. Trust me." The third man smiled at the young father and Harry was reminded of his Godfather before he'd died.
"I've missed you Sirius." Harry whispered and was rewarded when the man swept him up in a bone-crushing hug.
"I've missed you too Harry."
"Daddy?" The sleepy voice of Lily Potter was heard from across the room and Harry's attention was immediately on her.
"What's the matter sweetheart?" He knelt down in front of her, worry in his eyes.
"Nuffin'. I heard voices, came out here. Saw you hugging one of those men. Who is he? And him?" She pointed at James. "Heh, he looks like you daddy" She giggled but as her eyes fell on Remus, all her giggling stopped and she just stared. After a minute of silence she released herself from Harry's hold and walked over to the amber-eyed man, looking at him in curiosity.
She recognised him some how but couldn't place his identity anywhere. Frowning at the less than helpful information her eyes were giving her, she grasped onto the front of his robes and pulled him down into a kneeling position. Then she ran her hands over his face as she wracked her brain trying to remember him. Finally, she decided that she might be able to recognise his scent better than sight or touch, so she lowered her sense dulling defences and immediately her eye widened.
"Daddy?" She whispered before launching herself at the kneeling man. Remus was too shocked to respond at first but he soon shook himself out of his daze and hugged her back tightly. Harry watched on, smiling happily at the two in front of him.
Things would be ok now. He wasn't alone anymore.
~~~
I wrote this god knows how many months ago. I actually thought I'd lost it but the other day I stumbled upon it once more and thought I might as well put it up here.
To be honest, I'm not sure what to think of it myself but hey ho.
Review!
Thank you!!