Ch. 3 The Family
A/N: I start school on the 5th, so I thought I'd update as much as possible this weekend. When we left off, Harry and the others were upstairs, and had just arrived at their destination prompted by Julian. Hope you like, and I would love it if you left a review so I can improve!
W
Harry's movements were slow and trancelike, as if he was moving through water. He quickly cast several strengthening charms, and then waved at Hermione and Ron to follow him. Wading through the rubble, Harry stumbled and reached out to steady himself on an ancient and rotted bedpost. He watched silently as the room began to rebuild itself and he was taken back in time.
I
The room was dark, lit only by a dim lantern. Julian sat at his desk, writing, as the magical light swirled over his face. Suddenly, a tapping was heard outside the window. Julian looked up and grinned, his face lighting up. He hurried to the window and pulled back the curtains to let in an owl.
"Hello, Mannie! What do you have for me tonight?"
Mannie flew in to perch on the bedpost. Julian hurriedly untied the scroll bound to the owl's leg and gave him a quick scratch on the head. Mannie trilled with contentment and nudged Julian's hand toward the scroll. He laughed. "Alright, I'll open it!" He unrolled the letter. It was surprisingly short.
My dearest Julian,
I apologize for sending such a brief note. However, I hope you will forgive me when I tell you the good news; I now know when we will meet again. My love, my life! Look out your window.
Eric
Julian gasped and once again rushed to the window. He stuck his head out and gave and exhilarated laugh.
"Eric, what are you doing here?" The other man appeared next to Julian, mounted on a broomstick, grinning. He shook black curls out of his face to reveal dark blue eyes. He climbed inside with the help of Julian, who embraced the taller man as if he would never let go. Harry stood, a silent bystander to the reunion. Who is that man? Looks kind of like me. They must have been lovers. Julian was gay. The two held each other for a long time, seemingly melding in absolute perfection, love flowing freely through the room. They broke apart and sat down together on the edge of Julian's bed. Eric ran a hand through the other man's chocolate brown hair and smiled.
"Every time I see you, you're more beautiful." Eric said softly, stroking Julian's hair and face. "Those silver eyes. I swear, when you look at me, I fall in love all over again." Julian smiled, leaning into his lover's touch.
"You don't know how much I've missed you." Eric kissed Julian's forehead in response, then tilted the brunette's chin back. He lowered his lips softly to meet the other man's, and wrapped his arms around him. They kissed like that for a long time, long enough to make Harry uncomfortable, and he began to feel like he should clear his throat to make his presence know or leave the room. But then they broke apart, breathing heavily. Eric sighed.
"I wish it was you may parent wanted me to marry. The Malfoy name is as good as ours!"
"Are they on about Elizabeth again?" Julian asked.
"Naturally. If only we were braver. I would tell my parents, 'The only handfasting I do will be with Julian Malfoy!'" They kissed again. Julian moaned softly.
"And I would tell mine, 'I will marry none but Eric Potter!'" The pair joined their lips once again and Julian pushed Eric down on his bed, straddling him. Harry would have left immediately at that point, but his mind was screaming. Potter. Eric Potter. As in William Eric Potter, my grandfather! Harry sat down in surprise, as his vision turned foggy and he was gently pushed out of the vision.
L
Harry blinked, slowly coming back to reality. The night sky could be seen above, where the roof of Julian's bedroom had burned through or collapsed over the years. He shook himself, Ron and Hermione silently helping him to his feet.
"What was it this time Harry? You were out cold for almost a minute." Ron asked, once Harry had gotten his bearings again.
"I saw… wow. I saw Julian. He was visited in the middle of the night." He stopped, and brushed the grime from his clothes.
"By a woman?" Hermione prompted.
"No. A man. He called him Eric. Eric Potter. They were lovers." Harry blinked.
"Harry…"
"I think it was my grandfather. My grandfather and Julian Malfoy were in love." Harry grinned. Hermione just looked confused.
"But didn't your granddad marry a woman?" she asked slowly. Harry nodded, closing his eyes.
"It must have been after Julian died. Harry, what year was your dad born?" Ron asked.
"1958."
"The math works, 'Mione." Hermione nodded, and looked around. Harry followed suit.
"What now, then?" she asked, wrinking her nose at the moss and mold growing on the floor and walls.
"Let's just keep looking around, maybe we'll find something or I'll see something that will point us in the right direction." Harry replied, grabbing a bit of the ceiling that had fallen in and pushing it out of his way. There was evidence of nature reclaiming the house; nests had been built in what was left of the rafters, and plants had begun to sprout throughout the room. Bits of civilization were still recognizable; inkwells lay, charred, on the floor; the metal bed frame was covered in soot and had been claimed as a home for local wildlife, and several candelabras were scattered across the floor. A frame on the inside wall even held remnants of a lost piece of artwork that had once hung there. Hermione pulled a few half burned books from a shelf that was hanging by one end, dropping them a moment later when insects began to crawl out. Ron pulled off the front of one of the desk drawers, and several dry, yellowed pieces of paper fluttered to the ground.
"Inside the desk must have been spelled to keep moisture out." Hermione said, leaning over automatically to pick up a sheet of paper that had landed near her. She gasped. "Harry, this was his room, wasn't it! Lady bright… Look at this!" She held out one of the sheets of paper to Ron. Written at the top of the yellow, cracking paper was a name- Julian A. Malfoy. Harry peered over Hermione's shoulder and smiled.
"What does the 'A' stand for, Julian?" He took a step back and something cracked under his foot. He reached down and picked up a silver frame, shaking out the slivers or glass he had broken. "What's this?" he whispered, more to himself than anything else, and Hermione and Ron crowded around his to look. They were faced with an old black and white wizard photograph.
"That must be the Malfoy's. Look at big bad Lucius!" Ron chuckled. Harry ran his fingers along the frame.
"Mon and Dad Malfoy. Melody, holding Lucius. And Julian…" Harry trailed off into silence.
"They were beautiful, all of them. This family must have been the envy of the neighborhood. But where are those trademark platinum locks?" Hermione asked. A voice from behind them made them all jump.
"None of us were blonde. It was quite a surprise when baby Luc grew his light hair." The trio turned slowly, pulling their wands out as one. Three jaws dropped in shock. Harry looked down at the photo in his hands, and back up. Unbelieving, he did it again.
"Who in the bloody blazes are-" Ron grunted in surprise when the elbow digging into his ribs shut him up. "Harry, what the hell?"
"Shut up, Ron! Can't you see? It's Julian!" Harry practically squealed. "Hi! Why didn't you show yourself to us before? Oh. Uh… I'm Harry Potter, and my friends here are Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." He finished hurriedly.
"I know. I've been watching you. You looked so much like Eric, even your energy felt like him, I knew you had to be related. That's why I gave you the visions. Then when you said you thought he was your grandfather, I knew you were safe, and I could talk to you. I knew you would help me." Julian said, his voice breaking almost imperceptively on the last sentence. Hermione took a step toward him.
"Of course we'll help you, we'll do what we can. What are you exactly? A ghost? Why do you need our help?" she said, her focus completely on the translucent man standing… or floating… before her.
"I'm a ghost, yes. I chose to stay on Earth because I needed to find out what happened to Melody and my Parents, and I wanted to keep an eye on the baby. I knew he had survived, but I haven't been able to find out anything about him since I died. I'm confined to this house, and I can't break the spell that binds me here. If I were alive, it would be no problem, it's a potion and spell combined, and my mother taught me everything she knew about potions. But I can't do it without a body." Julian said, annoyed.
"Julian… My grandfather's name was William Eric Potter. Was it him in the vision? Were you and he…" Harry broke off, blushing. Julian laughed, a light, sweet sound.
"I thought that vision would get to you! Especially after you, Ron, shouted Harry's preferences to the entire house. Yes, Harry, your grandfather and I were lovers. Secretly, of course. He fought his parents on his arranged marriage every day of his life. Elizabeth Watkins was a nice enough girl, but very flighty, and not quite together upstairs. She came from a well off family, though, and her parents had promised her to Eric. He and I had always planned to run away together. When Melody had her baby, it spoiled our plans rather nicely." Julian finished, apparently losing himself in memories. Hermione broke the silence.
"Wasn't that kind of thing hard to hide? You had servants and parents and siblings that could have all figured it out." She asked. Julian nodded.
"It was harder than either of us could have guessed. Melody knew, she had walked in on us kissing once, but she didn't have a problem with it, and she was sworn to secrecy. His parents suspected, given the way he was continuously trying to beg his way out of the arrangement with the Watkins'. But I suppose they got their wish after all. The result is standing before us." He replied, waving a hand at Harry. "And now I have a question for you. Eric. Is he still….? I mean, he used to come back here every week and sit in my room or walk around our land. I didn't yet have enough energy to speak to him, no matter how hard I tried. But he talked to me. He didn't even know I could hear, but he told me he loved me, that he always would. Harry, is he still alive?" Julian asked hopefully. Harry's heart jumped to his throat, and he was washed with sadness. He shook his head, and Julian sank to the floor.
"I'm the last of the Potters. My grandparents died in 1976, my parents in 1981."
"How did they die?"
"My grandmother disappeared after her second child was stillborn. She was never found, and declared dead. After that, my grandpa returned to his old house, the one that he lived in when he was with you, I assume. He… he died in that house. Fell from the balcony. Some people… some people thought it was suicide. No one knew for sure. My parents were both murdered when I was a baby." Harry explained gently.
"Murdered… just as my family was. And my poor Eric… to die by his own hand… I'm sure it must have been suicide. He knew that house, and no accident could have fallen on him there." Julian shook his head. "Does anyone know what happened to Miss Watkins?" Julian was sitting on the floor, mumbling into his hands.
"From what we've found in researching, she just disappeared." Hermione answered. "The Ministry did several different spell searched, but nothing turned up."
"She can't be alive. She was never a strong woman, and the death of her child in her womb must have been a terrifying experience for her. Eric is dead, and his children are dead. Melody is gone. What news do you have of little Lucius?" Julian stared up at the trio. Ron glanced at Harry, and Hermione knelt down next to Julian.
"It's very complicated, and we don't know all the details, but Lucius Malfoy is in prison. He's married, and has a son our age." Hermione finished, shooting the boys a glance that said very clearly to keep their mouths shut. Julian looked shocked.
"Prison! What happened?" he gasped. Harry cleared his throat.
"Like Hermione said, it's a long story, Julian."
"Harry, Hermione, Ron, I've waited almost fifty years. I think I have the extra time." Harry sighed, and Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione, as if he could protect her from the memories about to be stirred.
"Sixty-four years ago, a boy named Tom Riddle entered Hogwarts…."HH