A/N: Hello dear readers! I'm not really going to say so much about this chapter, I just hope you enjoy it and there might be some time before I can upload the next one due and annoying combination of feeling under the weather, being interrupted by real life and having a slight writers block at the moment. But that's enough of my whining, I'll just let you read this in peace.

Enjoy!

Chapter eight – Taking to the bottle

When Mustang stepped into his aunt's bar later that night, his arms was instantly filled with his current "girlfriend".

"Roy, you're here!" she squealed and gave him a peck on his cheek which Roy fondly returned.

"Of course I am, Claire darling, I couldn't wait to see you."

Claire giggled and dragged him over to the bar where the plump owner of the place pulled out a bottle of whiskey with a dragon on the label and handed it to the young brunette by his side.

"Hello, Roy-boy", she said and then, in a slightly lower vice, continued. "Shortly after we hung up earlier today, one James Potter called me and booked one of the backrooms. 'With some of that Fireball Whiskey if you have it in stock', he said."

Roy gave a quick glance around, even though he realized there was no other customer there yet since she told him it so bluntly. Sometimes they had to rent a room incognito, and they always gave the madam that phrase to let her know it was them. However, the only ones who knew of it were his crew, major Armstrong and Hughes.

This Potter was starting to really grate on his nerves.

"Has he showed up yet?"

"No, but I expect he'll be here soon, so Claire will take you to the room. Just don't burn the place down, alright? And avoid too much screaming and shooting, it's not that much sound isolated."

Rolling his eyes at her standard warning he put his arm around his adoptive sister's shoulders and walked with her to one of the upstairs rooms.

"The girls and I have made some planning", Claire whispered conspiratorially, clearly enjoying herself as she revealed their plan.

"And if that doesn't work?" he asked after she was done, not approving that they were putting themselves in possible danger but knowing they already had a back-up plan or two.

"Then Pamela will pull a gun on him. Oh don't look at me like that, she might not be like your Elizabeth, but she's still good at it. Especially when it's that close up. I'm armed too, you know."

"Yes, well, I'm still worried about you, you know. Besides, it seems like there's a high possibility this guy is a wizard – a real one."

Claire frowned at him and placed a well-manicured hand on his forehead. "Are you okay, Roy? You seem to be hallucinating."

He huffed and lightly slapped her hand away. "Wish I was, but when I met him after he broke into my house he pointed a stick at me and suddenly I was doused in water. Then he used the same stick to knock me out – by simply pointing at me with it!"

"Are… are you sure he just wasn't using some kind of obscure alchemy?"

"No, it completely disregarded equivalent exchange, so unless he had a philosopher's stone…"

Roy slowed down. That would almost make sense, more than magic, if it wasn't because he apparently knew at least three persons who had magical ancestry. It could be worth looking into, though.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay? You zooned out."

"Ah, yes, sorry, Claire, just thinking."

"Yeah well, don't overdo it, Roy-boy. Your brain is not used to it."

"Har har, really funny, sis", he deadpanned. "Utterly hilarious."

Walking into the room, Roy went to window and looked outside. Claire paced back and forth, but neither spoke for almost half an hour before Roy broke the silence.

"Well, we better get into our positions. It seems like the guest of honour is here."

Maes put some flowers down in the remembrance garden. He had never liked this day, but it wasn't until now he remembered why. That it was today Voldemort had attacked, destroying his family, killing his wife and orphaning his son. Now, he might not be able to go to Godric's Hollow where he assumed Lily was buried, but at least he could go to the local memorial garden and pretend it was the one back in England.

"Oh Lily, I'm so sorry I failed you two. I swear, I will get Harry back and protect him. I will make sure he knows how much you loved him, how much I love him. I just need to make sure he can be safe here, you know. But how should I tell him? I don't think it will be a good idea to just walk up to him and say 'hey kid, I'm your dad', and even less to put in into a letter! And what will he think about me being married again? Having another child? Will he be okay with it, or will he be angry? Sad? Jealous? I can't imagine it will be pretty if he has my temper. Heh, maybe less so if he has yours."

He raked his fingers through his hair and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I've had Dipsy sneaking into the Dursley household, collecting any evidence she can find. They kept him in a cupboard, Lily. A cupboard. It was all still there; a flimsy excuse of a mattress, an even sadder blanket, a couple of broken toy-soldiers. He had even made a sign that said 'Harry's room' and put it on the wall by the bed. But from the pictures Dipsey showed me, it seems like his new room isn't much better. Furniture barely sticking together, an obscene amount of locks on his door, a cat flap on said door but no sign of any cats, and there also seemed to have been bars on his window. Damn, I don't think I need more evidence before I can put them behind bars for child abuse. But I need to make sure the custody of him is transferred to me first, or he might end up with one of the more wealthy death eaters or something."

Hughes glanced at his watch and sighed.

"Well, it seems like I've got to go. I still have to make this place safe for Harry, pity I can't stay safe while doing it. Pray I'm not being turned to charcoals, Lils. I'll need it."

With that he left the graveyard and headed toward Madam Christmas' Bar.

When he walked into the bar he saw that there was no other clients there yet, so feeling slightly calmer he walked up to the matron of the place, giving her a grin.

"Good evening, madam, my name is James Potter, I called you earlier today, about a room and a fireball whiskey."

"Ah, yes. It has already been prepared for you. Pamela! Show Mr. Potter the way."

A blonde lady that Hughes recognized as one of Mustang's pseudo-sisters came over and looped her arm around his with a flirtatious smile. "Right this way, James!"

Maes listened with half an ear on her cheerful chattering – knowing it was only to distract him – and she didn't let go of his arm until they were by the door and she opened it for him. Stepping inside he instantly spotted Roy by the window, his stance relaxed and hands in pockets.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter", he said smoothly.

Hughes opened his mouth to reply, but a small sound from behind him caught his attention just a millisecond before his head exploded with pain.

He never felt himself drop on the floor.

Mustang, Claire and Pamela all witnessed James Potter crumple down on the floor, and how his current look seemed to fade away to nothing, leaving a bleeding Maes Hughes in his place.

Claire wiped off the bottle she just had used as a weapon and put it on a small table.

"Well, it seems you might be right about the magic, Roy. That certainly didn't look like alchemy."

A/N: That's it for today dear readers.