A dark cloud
Rating:
WARNING: ALTERNATE UNIVERS: AU I AM NOT TAKING HBP INTO CONSIDERATION. HORCRUX DO NOT EXIST. THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO DESTROY VOLDEMORT and this IS SLASH (or at least slash implications later on).
Summary: People have secrets. Some more than others, and some more dangerous than others. James had a secret. A secret love. A secret dream. A secret child. A secret that changes everything for Harry; a secret that makes him question the father he was told about.
Key: Italic Flashback
Italic bold Letter
Normal Present time
Chapter one
Remus placed the mahogany chest in his bag.
… "I was under the impression that James and Lily had only one son." Dumbledore had said to him.
"Dionys is not Lily's son." Remus had replied. "I was bound to secrecy, Headmaster. I am already betraying that promise by telling you about him. All I can say is that I promised James that if anything were to happen to him I would take responsibility for the boy. I plan on staying by that promise."
Dumbledore nodded and stood up.
"You will do what you feel is right." Said the Headmaster.
"Dionys lives in France, in a small village with a woman named Annie." Remus looked downwards at the wooden table in front of him. The woman who had birthed him, Eleanor, had passed on the day the boy was born. "What about Harry?"
Dumbledore shook his head sadly.
"I don't believe that Harry is ready enough to find out he has a half brother."
"Let alone that his father cheated on his mother, but what else can we do? Lie to him?" Remus muttered to himself.
The headmaster shook his head and gently pushed the glasses he wore closer to his eyes.
"You will go and find Dionys. We will collect Harry on July 6th and bring him to Grimmauld place. Harry deserves to know."
Remus nodded and sighed.
"I will have Dionys here by then."…
July 3rd.
France was hot. People passing him gave the man in a striped shirt strange looks because of his contradicting appearance. He looked older than the previous year, grey streaked his hair and his face was care worn, like he carried around with him a great burden. Yet, after a few glances, one could tell the man was still relatively young.
He checked for the address on the piece of parchment he held.
The werewolf found himself on a small road lined with elaborate houses. He sighed and pushed the gate of the twelfth house open. He walked down the path too the door, chocking on his breath as he went. The doorbell sounded softly
… "I'll take him there for you, James." Remus had said, taking the letter from his friend. James smiled sadly, running his fingers back and forth through his already messed hair.
"Thank you, Moony. You have no idea how much this means to me."
Remus chuckled. Leaning back in the old wooden chair; the room they were in was simple. An old run down kitchen with a wooden table and chairs that threatened to give way beneath them.
"I think I do."
James placed his hand onto of the letter and bit his lip thoughtfully. "Annie Cael. She lives in a village in Southern France. She is Eleanor's cousin."
Remus frowned. He didn't understand the way Prong's was thinking.
"The Caels' are wizards. A very large wizarding family. If you want him to be raised away from the wizarding world…"
"Annie does not practice magic, Moony; it will be a good choice for me. I need to make a good choice for once." James clenched his fist in anger, laying his hand down on the worn wooden table. Remus shook his head and looked at the young distressed man in front of him.
"I don't know, James. It just doesn't seem…" he trailed off.
James cut him off with a swipe of his hand, sending the coffee cup that was before him flying onto the concrete floor. The half drunk liquid spilled into puddles amongst the shattered ceramic.
"Damn it Remus!" The man stood up over his friend. "Damn it. There's nothing else I can do! What do you suggest then? That I pawn the kid off to an orphanage?"
Remus cautiously took a step back from James. He laid his hand down on the back of the wooden chair, pushing his brown hair from his eyes.
"That kid is your son, James…"
The dark haired man interrupted him with a fierce hiss.
"Yes. My son, and as his father I get to say he's going to France. If you don't want to do it, I'll just take him."
Remus lowered his eyes and shook his head.
"No, it's okay. I'll take him. Lily is due to give birth any day now. You have to be with her." He sighed, turning to the metal crib in the corner of the room, and to the child who had been sleeping peacefully through out the whole discussion. "I'll take him to France. What's his name?"
James shrugged, edging closer towards the crib, as if afraid of the child himself.
"I don't know. I haven't had the time to think about that yet. Annie can name him…"
Remus nodded, moving forward and hugging the distressed man.
"You'll be okay James. You're always okay." Said Remus.
James laughed bitterly, slowly lowering a hand into the white cradle and onto the soft blue baby blanket that covered the infant. He withdrew his hand and pulled up his right sleeve, unclipping the silver clasp of a black leather wristband he wore. Remus stared at the single pure silver wolf attached to the leather. He laid the leather band on top of the child's blanket, turned away and headed for the door.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye?" Remus asked.
James shook his head and whispered, "No. Goodbye is just too hard…"
Remus nodded. 'It mean 'I'm never going to see you again''…
The door swung open and a middle-aged woman stood in the door frame, dark brown hair pulled neatly back. She wiped her hands on a tea towel, flattening out her long skirt and looking up. The minute her crest worn face saw his, she gasped in horror.
"Annie." Remus whispered softly.
…The village James had told Remus about was small. The welcoming sign read: CONTDEFEÉ. The road was paved with cobblestones and the buildings appeared around the era of 1800's. A group of children on bicycles zoomed by as Remus took a step back to avoid being run over. He glanced around for 'Oaks road'. It was easy to find. The village was small and easily navigated…
Annie lifted a hand to her mouth and gasped again.
"Remus! Noo…!"
…Remus stepped into the house. The flowered wall paper and plants in the hall gave a homey feeling. He sat down onto the couch, cradling the child in his arms. Annie brought out a pot of tea out and placed it on the glass table between the two couches.
"You didn't know about him?" said Remus, helping himself to the herbal tea. Annie shook his head and asked strangely:
"Should I have?"
Remus laughed sadly and placed the cup back onto a pink heart-shaped coaster.
"He doesn't have anywhere to stay." He passed the young woman a sealed letter. She tore the letter open, pulling out a short piece of parchment. The infant turned in Remus' arms before settling back to sleep. After a while she placed the letter on the coffee table and nodded.
"Who are his parents?" Annie asked, brushing some biscuit crumbs from her floral skirt. Remus shook his head gently, shifting the baby in his arms.
"I can't tell you that. All I can say…" He glanced down and drew in a deep breath, letting the smell of perfumed flowers wafer around him. "All I can say is that…he needs to be somewhere away from the wizarding world. With everything going on in the world right now – war – he needs to be somewhere safe. Somewhere away from learning his heritage to soon." Remus said with a deep sigh. Annie nodded and said 'I've always wanted a child'. She took the small infant from his arms, pulling back the blue blanket to see his small sleeping face. The baby had some small tuffs of black hair just above his forehead.
Annie glanced up and smiled. "Are you going to come back to see him?" She asked, gently rocking the baby boy in her arms. "What's his name?"
The young werewolf smiled and said "Well, he hasn't been named yet. His parents have left that up to you."
Annie continued to rock the young boy in her arms. She was gazing at his face curiously and murmured to the baby: "What would be a nice name for a beautiful little boy like you?" The young woman looked up. "I'll name him after my…grandfather."
"Dionys." Remus said glancing around the room. Portraits of landscapes and gardens hung on the walls. The room had a feeling of a cosy warm cottage.
Annie smiled again. "Yes. Dionys, Dionys Freyr…"
"Cael." Remus finished for her.
Annie nodded. "Yes, Cael."
Annie stood in the doorframe, staring at the man in shock. To his great surprise, she grabbed the door and moved to slam it shut. Remus held his hand out in time to prevent her from doing so. He called through the crack between the door and the frame.
"Annie, let me in."
"Will you be coming back?" Annie asked as they stood in the hall to the front door. Remus slipped his coat on, unsure of how to reply.
"Um…I may. I may eventually. I'm not so sure. I guess right now only time will tell whether I will return…"
The woman hesitated for a moment before doing so.
Remus looked down at the stone balcony and stepped into the house when she gave him way. The house looked the same. Same lamp in the hall, same cream carpet lay on the floor…
...Remus rushed down the white hall of Saint Mungo's. It had been hours since he had returned to the Potter's house to find that Lily was in hospital giving birth. The werewolf burst through the door to find a group of familiar people crowded around the bed. He saw Lily lying on the bed, sweat causing her hair to stick to her forehead. She cradled in her arms a newborn.
"A boy." Lily said, smiling up at Remus, unaware that he had just returned from France; and from sending away her husbands other son.
"A name?" Remus asked, turning to James with a confirming look. James didn't acknowledge it and declared loudly.
"James."
Lily rolled her eyes and turned to the young werewolf. "We've decided on Harry."
James snorted, turning on the bedside lamp. "I decided on James."
"…and James as his second name; to satisfy my husband's ego." Lily finished. Sirius stood opposite the two other marauders, tickling baby Harry's nose. Remus whispered softly in James' ear: 'Dionys.' James didn't spare his friend a look, as he continued to stare at his new born son, but he placed on Remus' shoulder a hand, to acknowledge the fact that he had heard...
Annie backed away a few steps, then turned and walked into the lounge. Remus followed close behind. The room hadn't changed much since he had last been in there. The couch was the same, the glass table was still the same…and the same paintings hung on the walls. Annie spun around and looked at the man in her lounge.
"Remus." She said. "You look different." The brunette woman acknowledged. Her voice was strained as if she was greatly bothered by his presence. Remus smiled and laughed softly.
"As do you." He replied.
"You're here for him, aren't you?" Annie said quickly. Her breath heavy and loud. She laid a shaking hand on the couch she stood by.
"Here for him?" Remus asked, letting his finger trace the floral imprint on the cushion beside him. He could hear some loud thuds in the background and the sound of someone muttering. He turned back to the woman on the couch opposite him. "Annie. I…"
Before he could continue, a loud screech echoed through the air. "Mama! Ou est mon…merde!" A blur of black and tan burst into the room, dragging a bag behind him. "Ou est….oh. Oops." A young teenager looked up at Remus.
Sleek black hair fell across the youth's annoyed face. His bright blue eyes were narrowed into a piercing look. He was wearing a black shirt and black jeans. His hair, unlike James' was sleek and fell across his face with a sort of elegance; and unlike James, he was tall and very slim with a thin nose and a thin face.
The youth turned to Annie who had stood up.
"Dionys – " The woman said forcefully, turning to the boy she raised. "This is Remus Lupin. He is here to try and take you away."
Review replies:
DestinyEntwinements: Who is the other parent? Well….You will find out later. :)
Lady Constance Malfoy: Here is the next chapter. :)
Authors note: Okay. Chapter two up, tell me what you think. Yes. There are more memories than present-time right now. Next chapter, we meet Harry. :) I forgot to say: Yes. Sirius is alive. I happen to like him alive.
I may take a while in updating the next chapter due to the fact that year twelve starts in just over a week for me, and I have a heap of homework to do before the start of a new school year, but I promise I will not take to long. :)