This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Word Count: 1228

Title: Love's Reward

Note: Could be considered OCC. Part of Muggle Soldier AU series, where Cedric Lives.

Warnings: Prejudices, angst, derogatory language

Beta: Aya Deyfair, Cupcakeyy, S. Lowelle, VanillaAshes

Quidditch League:

[Team]: Pride Of Portree

[Position] Captain

Prophet Challenge

First Line: It had been him who had chosen it after all, hadn't it?

Last Line: Perhaps it was just too late to change the past.

Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

[House]: Thunderbird

[Assignment]: Magical Government

[Task]: Task 5 - Great Sasquatch Rebellion of 1892: Write about discrimination.

[Bonus] [dialogue] "What I'm asking for is hard. It's easier to be cynical; to accept that change isn't possible and to believe that our voices and actions don't matter."

Hogwarts

Assignment 2: Journalism: What a Scandal! Task 2: Write about someone with a troubled past.

xx James xx

It had been him who had chosen it after all, hadn't it? He had chosen the army over being a father to Harry. When his wife Lily died, he could have become a family man, but despite the Dursleys' reluctance, Master Sergeant James Potter had enough influence to convince his in-laws that Harry Potter would be better off living with the Dursley family. They had a son the same age as Harry after all, a boy named Dudley. He made sure the family was well paid for taking the boy, and he was content with himself in knowing that the boy would be safe. He hadn't been able to save his wife, or his best friend, so, clearly he wasn't capable of raising a son.

James sighed, he had realised the flaw in not raising his own son, but now, now it was too late. When Colonel Dumbledore had told him of his suspicions, he had had an extreme reaction. He had been looking around his office, seeing the medals on the walls, the stacks of unorganized forms on his desk, and heard the knocking before Colonel Dumbledore stepped into his office, greeting him with a salute.

"Sergeant Potter," the Colonel greeted him kindly. It should have been clear to James that Colonel Dumbledore wasn't sure if his message would be taken well, but James was too distracted to notice anything odd about his superior and the man that was leading his son's team.

"Colonel, to what do I owe the unexpected visit?" Sergeant James Potter asked him, standing to salute him in return. Turning to his window, he pulled the ratty lime green curtains closed before returning to his seat.

"I had thought to inform you that there might be a budding romance in the Hogwarts Squadron, among none other than your son and the young Lieutenant Malfoy."

"What? You're kidding! My own boy, it can't be. Are you sure?"

"I can't be sure, but it seems that way. I have noticed the two disappearing off together, and the way they react towards each other."

"What are we going to do?" Sergeant Potter asked, his face turning red in anger and disbelief. "We can't just let this nonsense go unaddressed!"

"Do?" Colonel Dumbledore asked. "What would you suggest we do?" It would be clear to a more observant person that he was putting his foot in it, but James Potter plunged ahead. His face was crunched up in concentration, and as a soldier, his gut reaction to anything unknown was to react with violence.

"Can't we just stab them?" Sergeant Potter asked, a seriously contemplative look in his eyes.

"Sergeant Potter! You cannot be serious!" Colonel Dumbledore exclaimed. "That is the most horrible thing I have ever heard a man say about the fruit of his own loins."

"I suppose not, but really! A queer boy?" Sergeant Potter jumped from his seat, and started pacing his office. "If I had taken him, I would have beaten that rubbish out of him."

Colonel Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "I am highly disappointed in your backwards reaction towards men who are different from you."

James was too upset to realise the fact that he was offending his superior. Despite Colonel Dumbledore's appearance, with his half moon spectacles, long grey beard, and sparkling periwinkle blue eyes, James Potter was not the kind of man that would notice the signs even if they were to smack him over the head.

"I think you need to sit back down and listen to me," Colonel Dumbledore continued in a oddly calm sounding tone, but with such an air of authority that the Sergeant stopped pacing and returned to his frayed brown leather chair behind a disorganized desk covered in various stacks of paper.

James Potter sat down, looking at Colonel Dumbledore. He was red-faced and breathless from his exclamations.

"There is nothing wrong with the Leautenants being homosexual," Colonel Dumbledore started, and James could feel himself itching to react to this, but decided that he would be in better form with asking another question instead.

"Then why inform me of it at all, especially since you aren't sure?" he asked, watching Colonel Dumbledore's eyes narrow, and the distinctive twinkle vanish.

"Sergeant Potter, I suggest you listen to me very carefully," Colonel Dumbledore said. He took a step towards James' desk, and said with the same, eerily calm, tone. "Love, especially now, during this time of war, is something to be treasured. Love, despite the risks, is worth the reward."

James' eyes went wider and wider as he listened to the man, biting his tongue to stop himself interrupting again.

"I believed that you would have looked past who your son loves and been able to speak to him."

"He was never truly my son," James said softly, running a hand through his messy jet-black hair, that he knew was so similar to the boy they were discussing. He couldn't claim the title, when he had so readily put him into the hands of a family that treated him only slightly better than a dog, from the stories he had heard.

"I know the story of him living with your late wife's family, but now is the time for you to step up and become a father. Lieutenant Potter needs his family, now more than ever. He needs to know that despite the challenges, he doesn't need to give up."

"Giving up is all that keeps one going in a time like this, all that will happen if I approach the boy is I would lose him, one way or another, and he will have more to lose. I wouldn't encourage love in a time like this, even if…" James trailed off, not wanting to admit that he wouldn't be able to accept Harry as he is.

"What I'm asking for is hard. It's easier to be cynical; to accept that change isn't possible and to believe that our voices and actions don't matter."

"I can't, even if I could look past his preferences, I can't lose anyone else," he said. The look of disappointment from Dumbledore was evident.

"I was worried you would say that," Colonel Dumbledore replied. "I have lost people I love as well, Potter, and it's something I wish I could say gets easier, but it doesn't. I made my choices, and you are making yours, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the late Captain Black would have been in favour of your decision."

He may be right, or he might be wrong. James wasn't sure if he would be able to handle loving Harry, despite the reward that love held. He had become hardened by war, losing his wife during the birth of his son, and his best friend, Sirius Black, on the battlefield during this harsh war. His memories transported him back to that day, when the bomb had gone off, and Sirius had jumped on it to cover the fire, to prevent the rest of the team from dying right there. James had screamed, trying to yank his friend from the bomb, but he had been too late. He would relive that loss each night, knowing he hadn't been fast enough to save Sirius. He wasn't about to love another person he could lose.

Perhaps it was just too late to change the past.