"... And then, after the feast the (usually) tepid prefects heard you to your common rooms, where a whole list of boring rules, regulations and good moral giving takes the show." Draco stopped animatedly flinging his arms around and peered down at little Jamie Potter as they made their way, on the train, from Tokyo to Oslo. The Potter-Lovegood hybrid looked up with adoring eyes to his adopted father, smiling comfortingly to Draco.
"Where they the best days of your life?" Jamie asked.
"Hogwarts?" Draco asked to which Jamie nodded. "No, they were interesting for sure. But I think those days spent with Harry were my favourite…" Draco trailed off, his eyes transferring their hard gaze on Jamie to a loose uncomfortable one out of the window.
The young boy beside Draco smiled and nodded in a response, even though Draco could not see it, and relaxed his body against the seats. Once again, Jamie let his thoughts travel to his lessons; his newest adventure being the study of magical communities and Muggle alike. He had been on the road for over seven months, learning everything he could.
And it fascinated him, so much that big blue eyes shone in awe of his surroundings.
XxXxXxX
Harry ran and ran and ran and ran, his body convulsing slightly under the heavy pressure of an untrained crucio. Harry, being used to the pain, kept on moving, his magical energy undoing the binds of displeasure from around his body. Through the thick rushes underneath his feet, he moved with unnatural speed against the train destined to another town Harry had only visited via the battlefield. All a clash of neon lights and blood stained faces were the images surrounding Harry's current location, and he didn't stop to think of any possible advantages to his current situation, until the rain streaked sky above clattered causing his vision to rise upwards as his eyes locked hold of beautiful tear streaked blue ones.
XxXx
"Jamie," Draco said quietly to the bouncing boy as they walked towards their rooms, "Daddy Draco needs some rest and a chat with Gramps. Please go study, order room service, go swimming! Just give me some peace." They laughed together a little bit, before Draco pulled little Jamie into a hug, before Narcissa, who was travelling with them, did the same to the small boy.
"I'll be down to join you soon, okay?" She asked.
Jamie nodded, took heed to the pool with his swimsuit charmed from his bag. He wasn't fresh to Draco desiring some 'quiet' time, for the man often took relish in his peace and solitude, leaving Jamie to explore the world independently. A lot of the time, Jamie would sneak off and visit local libraries, to get better (or rather; the same old) information on his true father.
In the year he had spent with Draco as his guardian, Jamie had learnt no more than the simple clichéd newspaper headlines naming 'The-Boy-Who-Live' turned 'Man-Who-Defeated-Voldemort' the 'Saviour of the world'. But Jamie new there was something missing from all the news clippings and old photographs; there was nothing he could hold, touch, or gain from the boring paparazzi. Even though there were a thousand different pictures or a hundred different texts, there was no personality; just a lacking sense of 'Dad'.
The small Potter boy rambled alone in his head absently, all the while changing into his trunks, and then lowering himself dazed into the pool, setting off swimming like it would be his last chance ever.
XxXx
Harry entered the white-washed hotel, keeping a clear eye out as he moved forward to the front desk. His body ached, his mind hurt and Merlin only knew of how much his heart panged as he saw a small child walk towards him. Everything he saw, everything he touched reminded him of his failure concerning Draco and Jamie.
People were giving Harry sideways glances of disgust at his red-tinted, ripped shirt, bruised face and shaking body as he futilely stood still in the entrance hall. The glares; Harry was sure they were looking with hatred in their eyes.
The death. He saw the death of the thousands of people killed around him.
The letters. The words he hadn't wished to ever see again, tainted his mind painfully as he turned around.
The truth. Harry was a fucking bastard. He was a cowered who was preferring to just floo home for the night instead of wasting any more time in Oslo.
XxXxX
Draco was determined that Jamie would be the shining star of Hogwarts when he attended, and nothing from anyone could persuade him any different. He didn't push Jamie to learn; the strong Italian influence had done itself that amount of good that Jamie breathed to learn, absorbing as much knowledge as possible, and when this little fact was unearthed Draco seriously considered whether this boy was Hermione's or Luna's.
All thoughts were banished though, when Narcissa Malfoy carefully pointed out that the young child didn't have buck teeth.
Draco was glad his mother had accepted him, albeit reluctantly, back into the family. It seemed that Narcissa was won over by the prospect of a grandson; something she could truly devote her love too, without asking for anything in return.
And that's where Draco and Jamie could be found living, when they weren't travelling; at the manor with Draco's mother.
"And he hasn't even asked to see Jamie in a year?" Narcissa asked, with shock present in her silky voice, to Draco who sat back taking advantage of being a grown-up talking to a grown-up for once.
"He hasn't really spent time with Jamie in over five years." Draco said, going round in circles with his mother once again.
"Oh, that's dreadful!" Narcissa exclaimed, her hands flying to her mouth in casual ease, "Even your father was more aloof than Harry, but he still kept time with you."
"I don't think it's a question of how much of a dick-head Harry is," Draco replied, taking no heed to Narcissa's warning to mind his language, "Its more to do with how scared he his."
"Scared of what?" The fair woman asked, watching as her son stood and made his way over the drawing room to the drinks cabinet. She was slightly excited to be covering fresh ground with Draco instead of going over and over the same things.
"What you, or no body knew about Harry's past, was that he wasn't treated very well by his guardians. He believes he will be the same, that he will abuse Jamie just as they did to him.
"And if you remember correctly, Harry's father passed away; Harry is afraid of leaving Jamie in that predicament." Draco returned to his seat with a healthy measure of Firewhiskey, unaware of spying eyes from the corner of the room.
"But doesn't that make it worse situation for Jamie? To be pushed away into a life of loneliness so that he doesn't have the minimal chance of being broken?"
"Don't forget Mother," Draco chided, "That Harry, along with Merlin, Salazar, Dumbledore and Godric are some of the most well known, well talked about and famous wizards; dead or alive."
Narcissa nodded, she had expected this. "So why did you take Jamie in?"
"I don't know. In all honesty I think at first I felt sorry for the little mite."
This made Jamie, who was spying unintentionally on his family, freeze over with untamed emotion. Draco felt sorry for him? He only took Jamie in because he was a sad, lost, homeless child?
"Does Harry know you have him?" Narcissa asked, taking a gentle sip of her red wine, careful it didn't stain her lips.
"I have never cared to tell him. Lord knows if he ever was told by the adoption agency, or if Jamie ever said anything."
And his father, his real blood tainted father knew not of his whereabouts. He didn't even care about his own son.
Sudden rage flared inside of the blue eyed child, and white flashed before him before a second skin of surroundings took over his balance, spatial awareness and comfort. He had moved once again, without thinking about it, his body willing him into his bedroom, where young Jamie took no time in leaving a note for Draco, packed his bags, and thought of the one place they might, just might find him.
Dearest readers,
It has been a long time since I have updated, but I feel no sorrow in doing this as it my muses have been more focused on such ditties as 'Is that still you?' and little onesmuts; 'The meaning of Christmas'.
Like it? Hate it? Still interested… have a horrible rash? Go on… tell me…
