Titanium

Author's notes: Hi guys! I'm so glad with the reaction from the other few chapters I've been posting rapidly seem to be pretty popular! I'm really excited with the amount of positive feedback I've been getting, and it makes it a lot easier to write when I know what you all like and don't like! I've decided to skip over the question and answers. Sorry, I'll have a flash back later on of it, but I wanted to get into the main story sooner rather than later! If it pisses you off, I'll just come back and have an unnumbered chapter for it later. So, everyone best be ready! It's about to start getting fun! I know I said that I would have Harrison and Sirius explain, but honestly, they have to tell their story so many times throughout the story, I figure I'd save myself trouble and just do a small time leap forward a few weeks. Anyway, thanks to all those who reviewed and to those who added this story to favorites, and who added this story to your story alerts! And by the way, I know its Grim, but hell I like spelling it Grimm…It's so much more fun!–CJG

Warning: Homosexual relationships, dark themes, violence, language, and angst. If you don't like, please don't read.

Chapter Thirteen: Princess Harrison and the Beast

Characters: Harrison Potter and Sirius Black. Location: The Shire

"No! He's got me! Grace, help!"

Harrison's voice lifted through the field that was filled with roughly around ten hobbitlings giggling and sword fighting to get to Harrison so they could learn how another one of his wild crafts. His emerald eyes were shining so brightly it looked as if they were threatening to explode. He was clad in a pair of tie up leather pants, and a soft lilac tunic that had been sewn and dyed for him. A dark grey vest covered his front, hiding the suspenders that ensured the leather wasn't going anywhere. His swords were discarded from his person and placed by Sam, so he could ensure that none of Harry's blades, nor his bow and quiver could be touched to endanger the children. His long black hair had grown even longer in those few weeks which he had spent learning all that he could about middle earth.

He was tossed over Sirius's shoulder, reaching for a small short haired girl with thick black curls who was giggling up a storm and running after them in attempt to "rescue" the elf. Everything was going as Sirius had planned, that was until he was flanked by Merry and Frodo, which sent him tripping forward and sent Harry flying into the totally unplanned placed arms of Pippin. Harrison and Frodo shared the exact same shocked and disbelieving expression on their faces before bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Peregrin, you're my hero!" Harry exclaimed through bold angelic trills of laughter. He a placed careful kiss to the hobbit's cheek, and ruffled the hobbit's hair when he was carefully set down on the ground by on Peregrin took. The youngest hobbit was blushing bashfully at the fact that "Princess Harrison" had kissed him on the cheek. With a quick tug on his arm he was back to glancing down at Grace, who looked close to tears.

"I couldn't save you, Papa Harrison, please forgive me." She said, as her lip trembled. Harry's eyes went wide as he leaned down and scooped the small child into his arms.

Grace was always one of his favorite hobbitlings; she was smallest out of the bunch, and one of the youngest. She had large pale blue eyes, and thick soft looking curly black hair. She was innocent as a lamb, and pure as warm spring rain. She had a lot in common with him, excluding the fact that she was not only female, but completely normal in all the sense that was Hobbit. At a very young age her parents were killed, forcing her to be sent to live with Cass and Rum Brandybuck, who were her aunt and uncle on her father's side. Though unlike Harrison's family, Cass and Rum honestly cared for the small child's life.

"Oh, little Grace, you helped save me remember!" He said as he held the child close to his chest, shifting from one foot to the other in a comforting motion to calm the small girl down, "You herded Sirius into Mister Frodo and Master Merry's trap!" He spun her around and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before settling her on his hip and starting to skip toward Samwise, "Come with me sweat heart, let's see if Sam has flowers ready for us. I'll let you and Gem braid my hair." He said happily kissing her cheek.

He found himself leading all the children, along with Sirius, Frodo, Merry, and Pippin along the road like ducklings. Happily receiving and returning the many Hello Harry and Good evening Harrisons he was getting. He would smile and greet the creatures who he had become quite fond of with a pleasantly soft greeting, and a short explanation on where they were off to. Sirius had shifted into his Grimm form, prancing happily with two children mounted upon his back. Sirius was big, and the children small enough to fit on him. Apparently Sirius really enjoyed being subject to pony rides. Harrison had told the hobbits of his many forms, but had only really shown them one of his four. It was much easier to describe them, but in honesty, two of his forms scared him immensely, and if he could avoid that part of him for the longest time, he was fine with that.

Times in the Shire had been very interesting at first, the hobbits had been standoffish and rude, but he soon found they were simply put off by change. He took it with stride, and soon became a very fond figure in the eyes of the Hobbits. At first, much to the annoyance of the hobbits, he would help with gardening, with farming, even with milking cows; he just wanted to show that he didn't mean to disrupt the peace in the Shire. As he started baking, speaking, and singing more openly with the Hobbits, they seemed to become fonder of Harry. It had been a long battle, but soon everyone knew Bag End as the keeper of the Beast and the Elfling, and not as the home of the old and slightly crazy Baggins.

"Hullo Samwise! Are the flowers ready?" Harrison asked with a kind smile, a bit of his pointed canine showing lightly in his lazy smile.

Samwise looked up with a shy smile nodding in conformation, "Yes Mister Harrison, all the flowers are ready, I must admit I'm a bit nervous about doing this, what if she knows?" He asked, fidgeting awkwardly looking around as if trying to map out whom all was there and who wasn't. The children had been let in on Sam's "secret" and honestly it was amazing, these Hobbitlings were the most amazing secret keepers Harry had met to that very day. Not a word was uttered, nor a hint dropped, and they hadn't even made an unbreakable vow, all they needed was an extended pinky and they were set.

"If she knows, then she'll either say yes, or she'll say no Sam. But you can't give up because of fear, don't let it bridle you and tie you down." Harrison seemed to have gained quite the role of councilor to most hobbits in the Shire. No one seemed to mind, though that was after he bound himself to a few unbreakable vows, and risked death many times, "You're the bravest of Hobbits Samwise Gamgee; you just need to see that. Now let's braid these flowers so you can get the girl!" The children cheered to agree, but Sirius seemed to be the loudest, spewing odd forms of endearment and encouragement. It was almost funny how serious Sirius (A/N: ha-ha Sirius…Wow I'm mature, anyway.) got when it came to being a match maker.

They sat happily in a patted down patch in the wheat, the older hobbits sitting across from Sirius and Harrison, who were currently covered in piles of hobbits. A basket of long steamed flowers sat in the middle of their circle. All eyes on Harrison as he showed the group how to braid flower chains, and make crowns out of the colorful flowers that Samwise had picked. Sam on the other hand have a very special basket of flowers that had been picked and organized so they would match Rosie perfectly.

Under the setting sun all of the children sat, completely content with braiding not only the flowers, but Harrison's hair, sticking flowers in the crosses of the braid. He was pleasantly surprised when Pippin shyly stepped forward and handed him a crown of white calla lilies, daffodils, and lilies of the valley.

"Thank you Pippin!" Harrison exclaimed, taking the crown carefully in both of his hands, he blushed slightly, knowing that pippin had little knowledge of what those flowers meant in the language of flowers, but he was completely flattered none the less. "I'll put an everlasting charm on it so they won't fade, just like I did with Rosie's crowns." He said happily kissing Pippin's forehead, before going around and doing the same to the rest of the group.

He slipped the crown on his head, gently settling it carefully further back on his skull; it sat beautifully, gently applying pressure so the pointed tips of his ears would show. His black hair seemed even blacker against the pure stark white of the crown, and his eyes even brighter of a green. He was smiling so boldly at that point he thought his face would split. To think that naught but 6 weeks ago he had been burying his world, now he was laughing happily with children. It was like a dream come true. Here in this heaven on earth he was living the life he had dreamed of, he had a misfit family full of children who he considered his own, he had even blood adopted Grace with the permission from her aunt and uncle. He had also been blood adopted by Sirius, and had shared the potion with the four Hobbits that he had come to love very much.

His bare feet made hardly any noise as he walked alone across the winding path; he was as soundless as his own world likely was at the moment. His sighs the only noise that could likely be heard. This peace wasn't going to last, a war was destined to break out much sooner than later the mental connection he kept with Nox told him this. Darkness was going to brew soon, and it would be up to a small few to save that world, to unite the people of middle earth. Sure, that was easier said than done, even on earth it was almost impossible, but here? From what Harrison had read about the relationships of some of the creatures on middle earth he found that idea easier said than done. Yes this life was happy now, but he still felt so empty, still so alone in the crowd of people.

He could feel that Frodo was going to have a large role in what was to come; he could feel the odd power that seemed to pour from the Hobbit. It was clear he was the only one who felt this way, for if Sirius knew he wasn't letting on. He had elected that he would protect the Hobbit's mind from anything, he knew he was strong enough to offer that power to him, but when, and where? He felt so hopeless, waiting on the edge for something to happen. Just waiting for the string to snap, and for war and battles to begin. He was horrified; horrified that he would fail his people again. Horrified that his mate would hate him. Horrified that this world wasn't what Nox had made it out to be. And another thought crossed his mind.

What if he failed them again? What if he killed this world too?

Sirius could see Harrison struggling, it had started again. Though this time Harry hid the self-hatred and the fears horribly. Sirius knew that he was bleeding internally; he knew that Harry was so frightened of failure. Even if they had won their last war, the cost had been far too great. Far too many good men and women had died in that war. It was sickening to know that Harrison believed it his fault, and gut clenching to realize that in his years of living he still couldn't escape the killing and the mutilation of war.

He sat perched against a tree, a pipe sticking from the corner of his mouth as he chewed the tip in thought. His godson had seen much, too much. He had seen things so horrible that even a grown war torn man would likely lose his stomach contents if they had just a peak into his mind. His memory was far too good, even if Harry did keep all those things hidden in boxes far in the corner of his mind he still remembered, he still knew.

"Is Harrison okay, Sirius?" Frodo asked his own pipe balanced in his hand as he stared lightly at the Grimm. Sirius shrugging, unsure of exactly how to answer.

"I believe he's just warring with his own mind, dear Frodo." He drawled, taking a nice long drag of his pipe before turning to look at the hobbit, "He's lived through things that bring fear into men's hearts simply by hearing about them." His voice was soft as he turned to stare off down the path where Harry had gone walking. Darkness had started to fall and Harrison had insisted on walking the children back alone, "I worry for him; he's driving himself to madness. I fear for him, because he's buried so deeply in his own mind. I simply pray that he will have a good, strong mate to ground him. To love him, and to encourage him. I pray that he has someone to chase away all those fears, and all that self-loathing hidden in his soul." His voice was a quiet, mournful tone. His eyes full of thoughts, and memories that Harrison had shared with him, and no one else.

"I pray that he can be saved Frodo. I wish he would be so innocent still, he's still so naïve at times. I wonder if it's how he was raised, was it the abuse his uncle rained upon him. Was it the war that took his childhood away? Who was it? Why did Nox have such a hex set on poor Harrison?" It was more a rhetorical question, but Frodo answered anyway.

"Maybe love is all Harry needs. I think that's all we can offer, and hope that it will heal him none the less. Love can heal many unseen wounds, Sirius. You above everyone should know this." With Frodo's soft words the conversation again lulled. Sirius was thoughtful once more, but he spoke once again before he slowly finished off his pipe weed and stood.

"Yes Frodo, I suppose that's true." Sirius began, his eyes locking with the brilliant eyes of Frodo Baggins, "Then let us love him unconditionally as brothers, as mentors, and as friends." With that he gave a boyish grin, and started skipping off after Harrison. Intentions completely unclear to any onlooker. Either way, one should be afraid, very afraid.