When the Dragon Spoke to the Moon: Is the origin of this story and chapter four 'When We Run' has a fall out fight between Gin and Harris at age ninety. For those looking for more of this story, Harris was birthed from the background I had to come up with in that story.
P.s. I may or may not be channeling some Hannible vibes with Harris's cooking sans the cannibalism.
Excerpt From Harris Magnolia Black's Lost Universe
Harris's Godson: Hufflepuff Teddy Remus Lupin who married Sonya Shacklebolt
Harris and Gin's Daughter: Slytherin Rose Lilian Potter who married Slytherin Dharmik Zabini (Blaise Zabini/Daphne Greengrass)
Harris and Gin's Son: Slytherin James Sirius Potter who married Slytherin Eliza Nott (Theodore Nott/Tracy Davis)
Harris Granddaughter: Hufflepuff Magnolia Tonks Shacklebolt who would have one day married Slytherin Judah Bell-Wood (Oliver Wood/Katie Bell)
Harris's Great Grandbabies, twins: Luna Shacklebolt Bell-Woods + Liliana Potter Bell-Woods
Notable Careers
Teddy Shacklebolt (Head of Hufflepuff)- Care of Magical Creatures Professor
Nevil Longbottom (Head of Gryffindor) - Herbology Professor
Magnolia Bell-Woods (Would have Hufflepuff) - Transfiguration Professor
Judah Bell-Woods (Would have been Slytherin) - Charms Professor
Angelina Johnson (Gryffindor) - Flight instructor and Medi-Witch
Charles Montague (Head of Ravenclaw) - Medi-Wizard
Scorpius Malfoy (Slytherin) - Potions Professor
Eliza Nott (Head of Slytherin) - History of Magic Professor, Assistant Headmistress
Harry Potter (Gryffindor but considered by most to be Slytherin much to Harris, Luna, and Hermione's amusement) - Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor
Susan Bones (Hufflepuff) - Headmistress of Hogwarts
Hermione Granger (Gryffindor) - Minister of Magic
Luna Lovegood (Ravenclaw) - Magizoologist and Dragonalogist
Note: Most children who were born from the Lost generation gravitated toward either Slytherin or Hufflepuff, survivalists and peacemakers respectively. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were almost solely composed of muggleborns. During the following years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Hogwarts had record low attendance rates. Much of Hogwarts' prestige was lost though there was an uptick in acceptance rates for 'lesser magicals' and muggleborns, as well as a greater acceptance rate of international students (though this was the work of decades not seasons).
The Lost Generation
Those who attended Hogwarts during 1987 to 1998
Known as the Lost Generation for an uncommon death rate. Many were lost during the Final Battle at Hogwarts, many more came to take their own lives afterward, many fell into some type of addiction, many led lives uncaring of consequences and prone to taking dangerous risks that -more often than not- led to terminal results.
Such as it was, the survivors gravitated toward each other, most were in some way connected either by blood or marriage to the Potter and Weasley lines. Subsequent generations were unable to wed and the 'Purity' of the British 'great' families in the ways of old were lost almost entirely.
The Lost Generation stands as a reminder to the Wizarding World for all time that children are not to fight in war. Children's rights and protection laws in Britain, Scotland, and Ireland have become the strictest across the globe.
The Lost we remember; or be lost ourselves.
Chapter 15 - A New Year
Harry was somewhat disappointed to not see his older self on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but he wasn't surprised. It was strange to look up to himself and not have it feel like being a narcissist.
But the fact was that he would never be Harris Black, and quite frankly, he never wanted to be.
The man had fought a war, had faced Voldemort enough times to be flippant about, had gotten married and divorced.
He had become a father at seventeen.
Admittedly, Harry did want a family, but he very much doubted he would be ready so young, and he wondered what his counterpart had to give up to be the person he was.
Harry was significantly relieved to know that Harris would be the new DADA professor, if there was a person he could trust not to be evil or hurt him, it would be himself.
Christmas at Grimmauld place was a beautiful array of chaos.
Mr. Lovegood, Sirius, Regulus, Narcissa, Draco, Theo, Luna, and Harry made for a very full house indeed.
Despite Draco being there, it was the best Christmas of Harry's life.
Narcissa, Sirius, and Regulus had truly outdone themselves in remodeling Grimmauld Place. The once dark, near rotting, apartment building now gleamed with cherry stained and walnut wood stairs, railings, furniture, and rafters. The first floor was rose marble. The upper floors of corresponding dark woods and Middle Eastern rugs. There were still some snakes on candle holders, but it looked more ornate and antic rather than goth Slytherin style.
The wallpaper had been stripped from the walls, replaced with solid paint colours that lightened and warmed the rooms. The over abundance of family paintings had been relegated to the Family Tree room. The Family Tree itself Narcissa had worked true magic in fixing, undoing the damage of the burned off images and widening to include everyone they knew of to be related. Including the Potters and the Tonks. Even Andromeda had been reknit into the fold with Ted Tonks name tied to him.
Harris's likeness was woven underneath Orion before Sirius, no one bothered to quibble in marking him as a bastard child, so it looked as if Walburga was his mother as well, which made the portrait of Lady Black, oh so pleased. Her portrait had been shrunk and placed on the wall facing the family true so she could look at what House Black had and would become.
Phineas Nigellus Black was the only portrait who got a place among the pieces that were more standard art paintings throughout the residence. Granted, that place was on the third floor where he had been spelled to stay unless someone in the house called for help.
Harry was able to set aside the trials of the year.
Of Voldemort returning from the dead, of being possessed, of his classmates turning on him, again, and being tortured by yet another DADA professor.
He was determined to enjoy this time of reprieve.
The Christmas tree in the main room was nothing short of glorious and Dobby had joined them all for Christmas day, helping an elderly Kreature who was in seventh heaven among all the Blacks returned to the home, despite the unwanted ones.
Luna looked particularly beautiful beneath the holiday lights. Everyday she proved herself to be a marvelous person, the truest of friends, and a lovely soul. He felt awed by her and extremely humbled that the smiles she sent him became more and more found.
They weren't exactly dating, but they weren't exactly not dating. It was like they had both mutually decided to become best friends before pursuing more. There were already friends, of course, but they still had much to learn about each other.
Much like building a castle on a stone foundation. Perhaps, it was silly, they were just kids and they had only been friends for a few months.
But then crazy stuff like getting possessed by a Dark Lord seemed to happen to him, so it was nice to choose a bit of happiness for himself. It helped that the crazy never scared her off, Luna stayed a constant force beside him.
New Year's Day became an even bigger event when the Weasleys —including Fleur Delacour— joined them. Snape had said there were whispers of targeting the Burrow and the Order had yet to find a sufficient replacement for a base.
Hermione came along with them.
Ron remained aloof, spending most of his night hanging with Ginny —their relationship seemed to have strengthened in Harry's absence— as well as Ron glaring at Draco and Theo, but Hermione was a different story.
She ran to Harry with open arms.
Not everything between them was instantly solved. Harry still thought she would spend more time with Susan, Hannah, and Neville when they got back to school. However, Harry and Hermione were always going to be friends, the history they shared made them family.
Harris had been right about Hermione. She was super intelligent, but she had as few friends as Harry, and Harry embracing rapid change and so many new people had spooked her. Harry was both forgiven for any missteps he may have made and was able to wholeheartedly forgive Hermione for her distance.
Everyone was a little tired from either drinking or staying up past normal bedtimes from the night before, but no one was prepared for the sight that met them in the dining room, a space that had been enlarged off the kitchen during the renovations.
In fact, even the people already seated at the table looked a bit miffed at the carefully curated, devine smelling feast before them.
Harry had never known anyone who celebrated on the first day of the year. Among the people at the table were the Longbottoms, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Amelia and Susan Bones, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Remus, Nymphadora and Ted Tonks, Mr. Lovegood, Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Flitwick.
Also, Viktor Krum?
Hagrid should have been here, but he was still apparently away on a mission.
"What the actual hell?" Theo asked, breaking the stunned silence.
"Oi, what is it?" Fred asked, trying to get a look above peoples' heads where they had all bottlenecked at the entrance to the dining room.
Bellatrix came out of some corner Harry hadn't noticed to snag Sirius's hand and pull him to a seat, Regulus following after them happily.
Narcissa pulled Draco into a hug, catching him out of the group slowly filling the room to take their seats. Even the Weasleys were outnumbered in this group.
Harry bracketed by Luna and Hermione found seats nearer to Fleur and Viktor. He didn't miss the flustered look Hermione gave Viktor nor Viktor's answering broad smile he focused solely on her as he rose to pull Hermione's seat out for her.
Luna was already seated before Harry could think to do the same.
Harry had been raised with strict manners, but also with the expectation that he was never directly supposed to interact with people.
He was never to be seen, never to be heard, and to be the servant as was his due for having a roof over his head.
It was his job to cook and to clean, to help between and never expect anything in return. Not so much as a thank you. The bitterness of his own thoughts surprised him, until he caught Mrs. Weasley's expression of near envy and shock at the food that had been done with more care than even House Elves managed and was prettier than any party Aunt Petunia had ever hosted.
Harry looked up at the table at his older self with a sense of… betrayal.
Sure, he knew Harris cooked and baked, that he had turned what was forced upon him as a child into a personal skill, but…
But Harry hated the idea of serving a bunch of people he really only knew in passing. It left a bad taste in his mouth, a twist in his stomach.
Harris had claimed the title of Black, and it made Harry worry; had some version of himself been unwittingly converted to 'high' society, to being at peace with blood puriests? Of course, that wasn't the majority of the people seated at this table, but with the exception of Remus and Hermione, one could look at this table, at Harris Black surrounded by the Blacks and wonder…
Wonder where his loyalties, if power had corrupted him…
Harris called everyone to attention, "My apologies for the timing of this feast. It was always my tradition to do this on Christmas Eve, however, I am also a believer in starting new traditions, in new friends." He inclined his head toward the Longbottoms, "In new colleagues," a smile for the professors, "and to family that we always hope will grow." He winked at Fleur, who turned pink, causing Bill to chuckle quietly and Charlie to let out a surprised bark of laughter.
Harris held up his glass, everyone reaching and raising their own, some glasses like Harry's was juice, others —like Sirius's tumbler— wasn't juice. "To a New Year and new beginnings."
The twins whooped and a few other voices cheered before drinking.
Hermione leaned into Harry, "You alright?"
He nodded, after that greeting, Harry realized something he would have never considered.
Most of the people at this table weren't well known to Harry, but maybe, just maybe, they were people who had been close to Harris.
Once upon a time.
Chatter rose merrily, if not as boisterous as it had been Christmas Eve.
Bill was seated across from Harry, Fleur across from Viktor, and he caught Bill's barely audible comment as he stared down at the food dumbfounded, "This is better than Mum's…"
Mrs. Weasley was further up the table and didn't hear them, but given the looks all the Weasleys were giving the food, Bill wasn't the only one thinking that.
Charlie nodded mutely.
Fleur sniffed, "He didn't drown everything in butter and salt, of course it's better. This is the work of a true artiste."
Theo cursed quietly after tasting some asparagus and mushroom dish, "Vegetables have no right being this good."
Something warm began to fill Harry's chest as he listened to conversations around the table as he watched the expressions of his friends melt with each bite of food. Luna was practically purring beside him and that's when Harry got it.
No one was fawning over Harris, but the apriatation of the food was visible, and made people happy, buoying the conversations to be lighter and making everyone more friendly.
Aunt Petunia's dishes had never done this, Harry had never been thanked growing up for the food he made, only smacked when the food wasn't 'good enough' or sometimes just because.
Just because.
But this meal was next level and Harry couldn't rightly imagine the amount of hours this had taken, even assisted with magic, this feast was a labour of love.
He had never imagined that food could bring everyone together in a way words never could.
Harris felt smug as he watched his family eat and the Weasleys collective double takes every few bites.
He took particular pleasure in Molly's conflicted expression. He knew that particular look on her face well because it was the exact same face that Petunia had when someone in the neighborhood out-showed her somehow.
Was he being petty? Absolutely.
But Harris had gone to therapy to not take his anger out on his kids, the war he waged with Molly and Gin was not something any therapist could help him with.
He had been told it was unhealthy and that he should be the bigger person, yada-yada, but Molly had crossed lines with Harris that he would neither forget nor forgive, even if she hadn't done it yet.
The other purpose to this gathering, aside from being with these people he did truly care about, was the matter of time travel.
Minerva was looking between him and Harry as if trying to sketch out how one got from person A to person B.
He didn't blame her in the slightest. Harris knew the contradiction he presented, a family man, an earnest Professor, and someone with a saviour complex, while also being a man driven to antagonize various people for unknown causes —namely, Albus Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy, and Molly Weasley—, and a man who was perfectly willing to bend the law to rebuild a pureblood family.
Of course, he was still the Boy Who Lived, the person who could manage to go toe to toe with the Dark Lord or Albus Dumbledore in equal measure, a man who would do damn near anything to keep children safe.
Harris could tell Minerva wanted to like him, but she was undecided on one single logical principle.
Had Harris been broken either in the past or by what Andromeda had done to him by forcing him to time travel?
Minerva McGonagall was a smart witch and that was a perfectly legitimate fear, some days, even Harris wondered. However, he knew himself, knew his limits, and knew he would never do anything to endanger children.
No one had any right to ask more of him.
Filius seemed more accepting as he coaxed the story from Minerva of Harris and Dumbledore's duel. Harris added his input when Minerva was unable to name a charm he used. Filius was on the edge of seat, his eyes alight with interest at the topic at hand, dueling and charms being his bread and butter.
Snape just looked like Snape, sour as always, though even his mask slipped a bit, tension leaving his face minutely as he savoured each bite.
Harris was feeling pretty smug all around, his mood further elevated as he watched Bella in the corner of his eye catch up with Sirius.
It seemed to surprise everyone except Narcissa, to learn how much Bella loved Sirius. She laughed openly at the mischief Sirius regaled her with from school.
It made Harris re-evaluate the old Bellatrix Lestrange's actions.
She hadn't hit Sirius with the Killing Curse but a stunner, the effect being the same when Sirius fell through the veil, yet it now made Harris wonder.
Believing the best in Bellatrix was far easier watching her ruffle Sirius's hair and Alice and Frank Longbottom sitting comfortably across from them.
"This is truly a fantastic meal, Harris," Ted said. "The best I can remember."
There were several nods, including —much to the man's woe— Arthur Weasley who received a death glare from his wife.
Molly cleared her throat, but said amicably, "What recipes were you drawing from? This is a wonderful spread."
"You mean better than you could manage?" he returned, garnering a few more askance glances.
"It's hardly a competition, Harry," she said with an uncertain smile.
His smile had more bite to it and he could see both Narcissa and Sirius giving him curious glances. Bella didn't notice anything wrong as she was whispering something to Regulus behind Sirius's chair like young children.
Harris's voice was all false cheer, honey coated steel, as he said, "Oh, I can assure you it is, Molly."
Should he be picking a fight with her here? Probably not, but he could see her trying to assert her influence as the inevitable discussion of the time travel loomed closer. He hadn't given them a chance yet, avoiding them all as he had for weeks.
Molly laughed a bit, that laugh girls learn to appease men when they are told a joke that was embarrassingly unfunny. "I can't imagine a future where you and I would be in competition. Harry is a son to me."
Despite himself, Harris's heart twisted.
If he was honest, Molly had been his first and —possibly— only mother figure aside from the memory and shadow of Lily Potter. But that just made Molly's betrayals worse. She always choose her children over anyone else, and maybe Harris could have forgiven her for that. It didn't make him happy that whether she called him 'son' or 'son-in-law' Molly Weasley would always choose her own children over everyone and anyone else, including Arthur.
But that Harris could forgive, what he couldn't abide with was Molly choosing Gin over her grandbabies, over Harris's children.
Molly had dismissed Teddy from the beginning because he wasn't blood, that was unforgivable.
That she had put Gin's pride over the wellbeing of the twins and Teddy, that was a declaration of war.
One Harris intended to win before it could ever become a possibility in this reality. The chances of his younger counterpart getting involved with Ginny Weasley were very slim at this point, but Molly wasn't above aphrodisiacs or love potions.
Harris had learned that lesson almost to his grave.
Survive Dark Lords and Fantastical Beasts, check, survive his ex-wife and mother-in-law?
Just barely.
So Harris bared his teeth in a crocodile's smile and said in a tone whose levity had no parallel to his words, "I loathe you almost as much as Umbridge."
Molly gaped at him.
Umbridge had received the Dementor's Kiss with Harris's recommendation in her court trial before the Wizengamot.
Arthur sputtered but it was Narcissa who asked the right question, not at all surprised at the fangs she knew Molly hid behind her mother henning. "What did she do?"
"Thirty years of grief, but the unforgivable sin was testifying against me in public court, resulting in me losing custody over two of my children," Harris said, keeping his gaze locked on Narcissa's cold gaze though he was able to see in his periphery the others' reactions.
Narcissa's expression was empathetic, because she both believed him and had a child of her own.
"I would never do that!" Molly exclaimed.
Harris pulled his gaze away from Narcissa to pin Molly, "But you did, and in the process, you did immeasurable harm to my children, your own grandchildren, and your own daughter. Gin wasn't really suited to being a mother, not in her twenties at any rate, and especially not a single parent."
"I wouldn't have abandoned her," Molly hissed.
Harris lips curled, "No, you didn't, instead you clipped her wings. My ex-wife never remarried. Gin was never happy, not during or after our marriage. You did your damnedest to punish me for falling out of love with a woman I married in my teens after a war, and you ruined her future in the process and tainted my children's childhoods. So congratulations."
Ted looked disturbed, Alice and Frank were glaring at Molly and even Arthur looked as if he wanted to wash his hands of this.
Molly shook her head, "Divorce is wrong. I must have had a reason— Did you cheat on my daughter with Andromeda Black?"
"Tonks," Harris, Ted, and Nymphadora corrected definitively in unison.
Harris spared them a partial smile before refocusing on the enemy. "I'm not bringing this up to sour dinner, I'm bringing it up so you and everyone else knows, that as with Dumbledore, I will not tolerate your interference in Harry's life. You may think you love him, but you must give up any notion that you can own him."
"Even at the cost of your children never being born?" she snapped.
Harris didn't let the pain of those words show on his face, but Bella caught his hand subtly under the table.
"They wouldn't be mine," Harris said. "They would be Harry's."
"You're the same person," Molly retorted.
Harris let out a long sigh, "No, we are not. We share an origin, but I can promise you that we are no longer the same. I suggest you think of it as a blessing."
"Oh, I do," she said, with the obvious implication that she thought the young Harry would grow up to be a better man and more kind to her.
Harris honestly hoped she was right on both counts.
Self-destruction wasn't something he would wish on anyone. Well, almost anyone.
"You seem pretty bitter about, well, everything," Arthur said, trying to save the conversation —and possibly his marriage.
Harris shrugged, "I'm one of the Lost."
"Excuse me?" Arthur asked.
"My generation," Harris clarified. "One way or another, most didn't survive, either the war or the cost of it. About ten percent of us survived to see our children grown." He smiled at Sirius, "If you think the pool is small now, well, none of our grandchildren could have married without wedding a first cousin."
"That's horrifying," Tonks said.
Harriss didn't know what to say to her, seeing as she was one of the ones to die and he had raised her son.
Not a day went by that he didn't miss Teddy and the twins.
"You were a professor before?" Regulus asked.
He nodded, "I was the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"You survived more than one year?" Sirius asked.
Harris nodded, "Yes, Voldemort put the curse of misfortune on the desk."
There was a long pause after that.
"How did we never find that?" Minerva asked.
"Notice me not charms," Harris said.
"Why would you wait to tell us this?" Minerva asked.
Harris raised a brow, "Because if anyone deserved misfortune and to be cursed by the Dark Lord, it was Umbridge."
Bella, Regulus, and Sirius burst with laughter at that.
Things fell back into more comfortable conversation afterward. The Weasleys were the first to leave, followed by Amelia, Susan, Kingsley, Mr. Minerva, Flitwick, Snape, and the Longbottoms.
After which, Regulus and Bella sat down on the floor in the sitting room with Wizarding scrabble much to Draco, Theo, Hermione, Viktor, Harry, and Luna's joy. There were enough of them to have pairs. The spells they came up with had to be explained and were given extra points for funny ones. Xenophilious Lovegood seemed content to watch from a seat near the fire.
Sirius and Narcissa lingered in the kitchen while Harris packed away the food for leftovers and began washing dishes.
Neither helped and he didn't ask them too. They all knew that the Blacks weren't known for any type of culinary expertise or cleaning.
They could remodel the apartment to make the Grimmauld Place downright warm and friendly but even the spell to rinse dishes was beyond them.
Nevertheless, he welcomed their presence.
"Harry, I understand how much you hate her," Sirius began. "But… You were almost cruel toward her. Molly does love Harry."
Harris turned to look at him, "No, Sirius, cruel, would have been telling her three of her sons died before she did. One in war, one to suicide, and one to assination."
Sirius paused, "Your future sounds horrid."
Harris shrugged, "I wouldn't have traded it away all the same. Still, this Harry Potter will have a healthier future."
"Why haven't you killed the Dark Lord yet?" Narcissa asked.
"Because, he'll run if I pursue him," Harris said. "Let him come to me. Let him think I fear him. I killed all his soul shards, he's too paranoid right now to fall into any trap I could think to set."
"That's a dangerous game to play," Sirius cautioned.
Harris sighed and looked up at him, "There's no guarantee I'll win, Sirius. We are equals. Yes, he may have unstabilized himself, but a cornered animal is not less dangerous and comparatively, I…" He sighed again, grabbing a rag to dry his hands. "I don't know if I'm at my best. My heart has been taken from me. I can try, but I can't promise that I will be at my best when the time comes."
Sirius blinked at him, then shook his head, "You have never sounded more like your father."
Harris raised a brow, "You've always painted my father as brave and brash. Hopeful. I assure you that positivity has never been my defining personality trait."
Sirius shook his head, "No, I mean —you're not wrong— but your self-reflection, the awareness of your limitations. Not because you underestimate yourself or because you doubt your own goodness, you just have clarity. James was spoiled, entitled, and even could be a bully at times, but he realized it and it was that self-awareness that allowed him to change."
"You think I can change?" Harris asked bitterly. "You think I'm ever going to move past the world I lost?"
Sirius shrugged, "I don't believe you will ever be the person you were, but I do believe you can be someone remarkable."
Narcissa huffed, "He already is Siri. Frankly, I'm surprised you didn't kill Molly."
Harris smirked, "Where's the fun in that? Murder is easy, showing that witch up in the kitchen is a victory."
Both Narcissa and Sirius laughed at that. Whatever the New Year brought, Harris was hopeful that this little insane broken family could handle it.
If not, then at least they would bring their enemies down in torment with them.
Everyone was in bed except Harris and Narcissa. Bella padded through the polished hardwood floors on bare feet in search of them.
She found them in one of the guest rooms, alone but for each other, the door still open as if one of them hadn't intended to stay.
Bella lingered outside the threshold, yet unseen.
Narcissa spoke first, "Harris, this is early. It's only been two months, so there are no guarantees, but I wanted you to know all the same."
Harris waited for her to continue, so did Bellatrix who barely dared to breathe.
"I'm pregnant."
Bella's breath caught as she saw the expression on Harris's face, as if his heart were breaking and as if he had just been offered the greatest treasure.
Bellatrix would have killed to have that look directed at her, would have had it been anyone but Narcissa.
When Harris placed his hand on her abdomen it was jealousy that ran rampant through Bellatrix's blood at the visage the couple presented.
They stood, framed by the night darkened window, her hand resting over his on her flat stomach. Harris bent down and pressed his forehead to Narcissa's head in a way that went beyond lust or romance. Bella knew how much Narcissa wanted children and she was pretty clear on what Harris thought on the matter.
What Bella felt for the two of them, the two of them like this made her knees weak and her heart flutter with want.
She was well aware of her limitations and reservations. As comfortable as she was with Harris, she liked him better when Narcissa was around. Narcissa who had never betrayed her, who she never had doubt.
She had fallen in love with Harris, but Bella wasn't sure of herself without Cissa present. So wanting them both felt slightly strange because she didn't typically enjoy sharing.
But these two were her people, and she didn't want to share either of them except with each other. She wanted Harris's love just as she wanted her sister's time and intimacy.
She had always disliked Lucius Malfoy, always the thought of him touching her sister even causally, much less sexaully.
Bellatrix thinking of Harris's hands on Narcissa inspired an entirely different emotion.
One that she wanted with her full being.
Harris turned his gaze, his eyes the colour of sapphires, just like Reggie and Siri's. Harris was kin and he belonged with them.
He said nothing and did nothing, just watched her without making her feel as if he wanted her to leave.
Narcissa turned her gaze as well and immediately held out her hand. Bella went to them. Cissa caught her hand and placed it over Harris's where it still rested over the place a child might grow.
One that Bella would be around for rather in prison. Unlike Andromeda, Cissa would let her hold the baby, and unlike Aunt Walburga, she wouldn't berate Bella for 'cuddling' a child. It still hurt that she had missed Reggie growing up, missed Sirius's school years, and then missed her nephew and niece entirely.
"You're with child?" Bellatrix asked, quiet and awed.
"There are no guarantees the pregnancy will hold, but for now, yes," Narcissa said with an air of a woman who wanted something so badly she was afraid to hope.
Harris pulled them both into an embrace, their arms going around his waist holding onto each other as they leaned into his chest. It felt right, it felt complete, they fit together if it was where they were meant to be.
"If this pregnancy doesn't last," he said, his voice rumbling through his chest against Bella's cheek. "If this is what you want, we can try again."
Narcissa seemed to melt into them then, her eyes fluttering shut, her shoulders easing downward.
"On one condition," Harris said.
Bellatrix looked up and caught his gaze.
Narcissa just hmmed in answer.
"I want joint custody," Harris said.
Bella almost laughed. There were a number of ways that could be achieved, all of them would cuckold Lucius. The easiest one would simply be for Narcissa to give the child her maiden name and have that child inherit her wealth, separate from the Malfoy Heir. Such a thing would require both Lucius and Harris to sign agreement to it and as Harris was Head of House Black, that child's legal father, regardless of bloodline, would be Harris Black.
There would be rumours of course, there always were whenever that law was used to true to salvage a line from a non-male heir, but nothing would ever have to be proven one way or the other of the child's heritage.
There were other options, a divorce might lose Narcissa custody of Draco, however, Bella wouldn't put it past Harris to force Lucius into prison.
But the first option, would be the most likely and be the most cruel to Lucius's pride.
So naturally, Cissa confirmed, "This child will be a Black."
Harris chuckled, "And a Potter, if not in name than in blood."
"Your blood is power," Narcissa said, squeezing them both closer. "Whatever disagreements I may have had with Andromeda, she was right to believe magic over redirect."
To believe muggleborns had their worth that had proven time and time again.
If not culturally, then certainly in magical gifts. Harry Potter, Harris Black, and Nymphadora Tonks, all half-bloods, all proved that.
Even the Dark Lord himself, proved that.
As well as the muggleborns themselves, Ted Tonks, a renowned healer, and Lily Potter, who had fought against the Dark Lord, tricked him to his doom in a way no one else had.
Blood did not matter as much as the power to keep that which you loved safe.
Harris let out a long breath, before saying, seemingly to both of them, "Thank you."
"For what?" Bella asked.
"For giving me a reason to continue."
Bella smiled. This man was hers, just as her sister was hers, her reason to continue, her love and family.
For the first time in her life, the future wasn't something to dread but something to live for.
End of Act I
AN: Thoughts, ewoks, or feedback, pretty please?