Chapter 4: A parent's love

I don't own 'Harry Potter'

Harry looked around the sitting room and shook his head at the insanity.

Six adults, twelve teenagers, and two young children were all packed into the room, making Harry grateful that the House of Black was as ostentatious as it was and always thought that excess was better. I dread to think of what it would be like otherwise.

Ri and Al were currently using Siri as a perch and were talking a mile a minute about their pets to Marlene, the blonde girl looking genuinely cheerful as she conversed with them as regular people as opposed to ignorant children. Merlin, that girl really is racking up points with us, isn't she?

Snape and Barty were cross-legged on the floor and playing chess, though also apparently making eyes at each other and giving Harry a migraine. And a semi-permanent twitch. The idea of those two together was baffling, but he wouldn't deny that he'd prefer it for them to be with one another and not go near his children. (Just because he'd resolved to treat them fairly, didn't mean he was that nice a person. His family were just the exception there.)

Lily, Dorcas and Peter were currently making use of some of the books from the Black library for help with their Potions homework, Remus not far from them with his nose buried in some of Harry's Potions journals. Considering he was known as the man to cure Lycanthropy, Harry wasn't shocked at the brunette's enthusiasm.

James was sat on the floor conversing with his cousin Andrew, Fleamont and Euphemia's second son. Andrew was actually the youngest of two twins, which was definitely a change from Harry's original time where his great-uncle had only sired one son, but he supposed you couldn't exactly plan for twins. Looking over at his own, he grinned to himself. You really couldn't plan.

The two Potter couples, Charlus and Dorea, and Fleamont and Euphemia, were currently in deep discussion with Orion, his wily husband more than likely trying to convince them to join in on Harry's Potions business. It would honestly help, what with Harry doing practically everything himself at the moment, which wouldn't be feasible when he eventually got pregnant again. And Fleamont Potter was a literal genius, while Charlus was no slouch, either. Harry huffed and looked around the room again, knowing Orion would probably get what he wanted sooner or later anyway. (As long as Dorea kept quiet, anyway. That was one fearsome witch.)

Ah, there they are. His second son, the one he'd been worrying about all day, was tucked away in the corner next to the window, talking quietly with the young man he'd developed feelings for over a year ago.

Alistair Potter was Andrew's older twin, and Fleamont's oldest child. He, like his brother, sported the customary bird's nest that was the Potter hair, black tufts pointing in every direction. He had blue-green eyes he'd inherited from Euphemia, a pale complexion and a few, scarce freckles dusted across his nose and the tops of his cheeks. He was a very nice young man, about to graduate Hogwarts this summer, and was planning to study for a Potions Mastery like Fleamont.

His son's possible paramour was exceedingly nice and gentle – the complete opposite of James – but unfortunately for Reg, he was entirely oblivious to romantic undertones. Not that Reg had been sending deliberate signals or anything, but you'd have to be blind not to notice Reg's constant blush or the way he fidgeted whenever Alistair was in the vicinity. (Harry had to wonder – somewhat self-depreciatingly – if being so oblivious was an inherent part of being a Potter.)

Earlier in the day, Harry had noticed Dorcas smirk upon watching Reg and open her mouth, before Siri's eyes had hardened, and Harry's oldest had quietly but fervently ripped into the opinionated girl before she could upset Reg. She'd looked beyond shocked that Siri had been so verbally brutal, but she'd huffed and kept quiet all the same. Probably out of some ingrained fear of the House of Black.

(As far as Harry was concerned, if she didn't shut up, he'd Obliviate her. Because that wasn't actually a healing spell, therefore his oaths would pay absolutely no attention as long as it wasn't his intention to do her harm. The beauty of loopholes.)

The time traveller watched as Alistair pointed out the snow, and by the way the two of them were standing up, his cute child had offered to show the older boy the garden. The two teens slipped out and Harry smiled, sipping his water carefully before excusing himself. He wasn't going to interfere or anything, but Reg had long since proven himself to be an extraordinarily sensitive boy, and it turned Harry's stomach imagining the Reg of before having to live with Walburga Black. Being around her on a daily basis, watching Siri drift then run away, being pressured to join a psychotic megalomaniac …

The more Harry thought about it, the more he wondered (and worried) about Reg's eagerness to sacrifice himself in that cave.

He turned towards the bathroom before disillusioning himself and doubling back, following the pair towards the small garden. He got to the door and peered outside, watching the two boys stand side-by-side in the evening cold. It was actively snowing now, light flurries that drifted down to the ground before dispersing. The flakes were also making themselves at home in the boys' hair, Reg especially looking handsome with snowflakes dusting his hair and red cheeks from the cold. (Though that could be parental bias.)

Harry leaned against the door, silently casting to warm himself as he watched over the two. Alistair might be a good kid, but that didn't mean that he lacked the potential to accidentally hurt Reg, either through words or actions. And Harry really didn't want to explain to Fleamont Potter why his son had been viciously cursed after taking a mere walk in the house.

Reg turned to look at Alistair and perhaps grin; Harry couldn't quite see his son's face from this angle. However, he could see the dumbstruck expression on Alistair's face as he gazed down at Reg as if seeing him for the first time. Blue eyes were roving over the younger boy with awe, as if Alistair couldn't quite believe what was right in front of him. If Harry had to be more specific, it almost looked as if the Potter was feeling blessed. (Which he should be, Reg was a gift in any sense of the word.)

Alistair didn't seem to be able to say or do anything in the face of whatever earth-shattering revelation he was experiencing, and Harry had to fight a smile at Reg cocking his head to the side in confusion. The older boy still looked baffled, though judging by the red flush on his face and how he was swallowing reflexively, he had just in fact – finally – realised that Regulus Black was a very attractive boy, and one that he appreciated as more than friends.

Come on, Ali! Man up and kiss him, damn it! I'm not going to have my precious son heartbroken because of an oblivious Neanderthal like – oh, there we go. Took your time, didn't you?

Harry studied the pair in front of him, Alistair bent over with his lips pressed against Reg's, arms wound around his waist firmly. Considering Reg was enthusiastically responding with his arms around Alistair's neck, there was nothing to worry about here.

He turned and made his way back towards the sitting room, dispelling his spells as he walked. He might want to make sure his children were alright, but he didn't need to see any of that from Reg. Besides, it was private, and his son deserved some alone time with his new paramour. He trusted Reg not to jump so far ahead too quickly, so there was no real need to stay out there.

The green-eyed man stopped in the hallway and gazed up at the photograph on the wall, taken when Al and Ri were just six months old. They'd finally sat up and behaved for the camera, sitting on Harry and Orion's laps quietly – for once. A newly-nine Siri was on Orion's other side, while the nearly eight-year-old Reg was snuggled into Harry.

He felt … sad. Melancholic. It was irrational, he was fully aware of it, but it was somewhat bittersweet to see his children grow up so quickly. They were taking exams, preparing for the future, finding love … They were becoming adults, and in some way, it left Harry floundering, wondering if they were going to stop needing him. It was a stupid thought, one he logically knew wasn't the case considering how often Siri and Reg kept in touch and generally disproved the idea, but it wouldn't go away.

Harry was proud of them, but it was still a little depressing.

Two arms slipped around his waist and pulled him back into a taller body, a strong chin resting on his head as he studied the memory. Harry could smell the usual, subtle cologne and breathed in deeply, closing his eyes and leaning back against the strong chest.

"What's wrong?" asked Orion lowly, nosing at Harry's hair as he did.

"Nothing. I'm just … being stupid," Harry admitted with a self-depreciating smile.

"Doubtful. 'Stupid' has never been something I've attributed to you. Unwilfully ignorant, perhaps, and definitely headstrong, but not stupid. Never stupid. You're one of the smartest people I know," Orion murmured into Harry's ear.

He felt his heart thud at his husband's reassuring words and sighed, knowing that it still sounded silly to admit out loud.

"It's just that … our sons are growing up. They're practically adults now, even if I don't want to admit it, and it feels kind of sad knowing they'll be building their own lives soon."

Orion's arms tightened. "That's definitely not stupid, not even unusual. It is sad, bittersweet when I think about it. They've been children for what seems like forever, and now they're finding people to explore romance with themselves.

"However," the taller man carried on, his tone taking on a teasing edge, "if you think Siri and Reg are going to leave any time soon, you've got another thing coming. I'm fairly certain that Siri is slowly renovating the room down the hall, all the while hoping that neither of us will notice he's turning it into another bedroom which could eventually be used for his own bloody child. And don't get me started on Reg; he tried to blast James' testicles off the other day because the idiot joked that Reg was far too attached to you. I mean, he was essentially proving James right, but his spell repertoire is rather impressive, I suppose."

Harry turned in Orion's arms to press his face against the warm chest, laughing quietly at the madness his two oldest children tended to display on a daily basis. He supposed there truly wasn't any real reason to worry about their sons, but he'd long since realised that his emotions didn't really care what he was 'supposed' to do.

They were his children, and he would always worry about them.

He hummed quietly, peering up Orion with a small smile playing across his face. "Do you think Al and Ri will be like this?"

Orion snorted. "Are you joking? They'll be worse, because they'll have grown up with Siri and Reg as role-models, so they'll already know how to be a pain, and how to improve on it just to drive us even more crazy."

Harry laughed out loud at his husband's exasperation, the expression on his face shouting that he was done with everything, no questions asked. He got his mirth under control and asked, "But what about if we have a new baby? They'll have had Siri, Reg, Ri and Al to model themselves after."

His husband had a flat look on his face and looked Harry dead in the eye, shaking his head back and forth slowly enough that Harry got the full brunt of Orion's disappointment. If anything, that just made the entire situation funnier and Harry bent his head, trying to stifle the mad giggles threatening to erupt.

"Erm … is everything okay?"

Harry lifted his head, wiping a few tears as he did to see Reg and Alistair stood in front of them, arm-in-arm. The older boy was torn between shooting concerned looks at him and Orion or standing there and gazing at Reg as if he were besotted and smitten. Harry very much approved of the latter; Alistair was beyond lucky to have someone like Reg fall for him.

He smiled at the new couple gently, casually linking fingers with Orion as he did. "We're fine, just remembering some entertaining family anecdotes is all. And imagining Al and Ri when they're your age.

"So, what are you two up to now?"

Alistair blushed a little, but seeing as Harry wasn't teasing them, he carried on. "Regulus was going to give me a proper tour of the house, as long as that's acceptable to you, Heir Black."

"That's perfectly fine, Alistair. Besides, any rooms that are inaccessible are inaccessible at all times, so any open doors are yours to peruse, except anyone else's bedroom, obviously," Orion answered calmly, looking entirely accepting of the fact that his son was probably going to find a dark corner to go and snog his new boyfriend in.

"Of course, Heir Black." The boy turned to go with Reg before stopping and spinning on the spot. "I'm just going to use the facilities briefly. I'll be back in a moment."

Once Alistair was out of earshot, Harry turned to Reg expectantly, eagerly hoping for some good news. "Well?"

Reg blushed but smiled widely at his parents. "Alistair has expressed interest and requested an exclusive relationship between the two of us. I accepted."

Harry softened and walked over to hug his son, feeling extraordinarily happy for the teenager who'd looked so out of sorts earlier that day. "I'm happy for you, truly. The two of you make a lovely couple."

The poor boy blushed even more at the last compliment but also preened somewhat, proving that he truly was related to Sirius Black, more than just superficially.

(Back in the sitting room, the unfortunate Sirius sneezed into poor Marlene's face and got a smack round the head for his troubles.)

"He's a good match for you; the two of you complement each other well."

Orion's praise reignited the blush a little, though Reg looked overjoyed to get such genuine approval from his more reserved father. The boy slowly moved over to Orion and embraced him, melting into him as the tall man held him close.

Harry almost wished he could take a photo of this moment; it was essentially proving Orion right from before. Reg might be growing up, but he certainly wasn't leaving his parents any time soon. Harry was sure Siri would have jumped in and tried to squeeze everyone to death if the imp had been here.

Reg pulled back and smiled shyly at both his parents, reaffirming Harry's belief that having a successful career paled in comparison to raising a child that you could be proud of.

Alistair stepped back into the hallway and grinned at Reg, carefully taking his arm and nodding at Orion and Harry with obvious respect. And probable gratitude for not murdering him despite his romantic inclinations towards their son. (Which, of course they wouldn't. Unless Reg got hurt or asked for it himself; then it would be open season.)

The married couple fondly watched the young lovers wander off excitedly before deciding to return to everyone else. Upon walking in, Harry noted Marlene looking more than a bit miffed at his oldest son, said son apparently begging for forgiveness, while every other teen was watching them as if they were a television drama.

Ri and Al had fallen asleep on the smaller sofa, bless them, so Harry conjured a blanket to cover them and cast a few silencing spells around the two of them. He and Orion would put them to bed after everyone else cleared out.

The older Potters were deep in discussion, but upon catching Harry's eye, Dorea smirked knowingly and Harry just shook his head, bemused at the meaningful expression on her face. He was not going to indulge the mad woman's insane gossiping, thank you very much. He had more self-preservation than that.

"I do believe," Orion announced clearly, making sure that everyone heard him, "that it's getting late. My youngest two have already had enough, it seems, and I won't deny that I'm not far behind myself."

He waved off the sounds of laughter and carried on. "Sirius, all of your friends have rooms on the same corridor as yours, so you can get them settled." Orion turned to the Potters and enquired, "Are you also remaining here for the night?"

Charlus shook his head and stood up, hazel eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled broadly. "Thanks for the offer, but I do believe the four of us are going to take advantage of the lack of children to get into the good alcohol. These brats can't appreciate what a good drink is, unfortunately."

While the teenagers looked to be varying degrees of affronted, Harry couldn't help but chuckle in agreement, remembering the post-Quidditch parties in Gryffindor Tower. At that age, people would go for anything as long as it was vaguely alcoholic, with no regard for taste or quality. It was rather sad in hindsight.

With that, everyone started bidding farewell to one another and making their way in different direction. The Potter contingent walked towards the floo, all the while eagerly discussing the assortment of vintage wines the family had been steadily collecting for centuries. Bloody alcoholics.

The school-age party followed a grinning Siri out the room and upstairs, but not before he darted to Orion then Harry for a couple of brief but firm hugs from his parents. The loud youths were all still awake and excited, but Harry wasn't too bothered seeing as Siri knew how to activate the silencing wards on the bedrooms.

Harry turned to pick up one of the twins, trusting Orion to get the other, before the sound of running footsteps echoed through the hallway outside. Not from the direction of their guests. He immediately drew his wand and stepped in front of his underage sons, quickly grabbing his Invisibility Cloak from his inside pocket and tossing it over them.

He wasn't too fussed about himself, but their safety was non-negotiable.

The green-eyed man lifted his wand as the steps got closer, fingers tensing around the wood in preparation. Preparation which turned out to be pointless, again – first Alphard, now this, one day this place really will give me a heart attack – as the person rounded the corner and proved themselves to be a member of their family.

Orion blinked. "Lucretia? What's wrong?"

The woman just stared at them with wide, silver eyes, eyes that were tearing up slightly before she launched herself at Harry and clung to him desperately. Her emotional state combined with her unusually strong arms meant that he wasn't breathing all that well, though he was honestly more concerned about the well-being of his sister-in-law at this particular moment.

Harry started rubbing circles on her back, trying to get her to calm down. "Lucretia? Can you tell me what's happening? Something I can help with?"

Lucretia pulled back abruptly and stared at Harry before a massive smile erupted across her face, simple joy radiating from every inch of her despite the tears.

"Thank you, Harry. Thank you so much!"

Harry blinked bewilderedly. "Lucretia? What are you thanking me for?"

"The potion you gave me about six months ago," she explained giddily. "You know the one. It worked!"

He froze before comprehension dawned on him, and he could feel his eyes widening rapidly. "You mean …?"

Lucretia nodded rapidly, still beaming like a fool.

"I'm three months pregnant!"

She jumped forward again and grabbed onto him, chanting her thanks over and over again with no end in sight. Harry caught Orion's eye and took in his husband's shocked expression. Lucretia had been married for over forty years and had never managed to conceive a single child, no matter how hard she'd tried. Harry had been working on a fertility potion for women with problems ever since the giving birth to the twins, and he'd completed his final product just six months previously.

"I'm going to be a mother."

Lucretia had an awed expression of her face, one hand gently touching her lower abdomen as she gazed at her own stomach.

Orion walked closer to his sister and enveloped her in his arms. "Congratulations, Lu."

As Harry watched the two siblings bond over the very long-awaited joy, he took a moment to contemplate the mad woman Lucretia's possible spawn growing up and attending school with the spawn of Alphard. And possibly his own child if things went to plan.

Yeah, Hogwarts is so screwed.

Lucretia giggled and beamed as Orion smirked at her.

At least it'll be a family-bonding experience.

A/N: Regulus is a sweetheart, and I will fight anyone who disagrees with me.