a/n And here is chapter two for you.
Beta: Julie. fjad
Family Matters
Chapter Two
Custody Matters
—
31 October 1981
"James!"
Silence.
"James Potter, you come here right now, or I swear I'll land myself in St. Mungo's!"
Light footsteps were heard from below, running up the stairs quickly, until a man no older than twenty-something, with unruly dark hair and round glasses, sprinted into the room.
"Wha- " Whatever the man wanted to ask froze on his lips as he took in Harry's room. Every single glass was broken, the portraits and pictures were on the floor, destroyed just like most of the toys, and the room resembled one after a powerful tornado swept through. "Oh."
A very tired looking woman, whose always-vibrant red hair was now dull, and green eyes bloodshot, spat out "Oh" back at her husband.
A very pretty baby boy was laughing in the crib, standing while holding the bars of his cot, his vibrant but pale green eyes dancing with mirth. If Lily's colour was more grass green, then Harry's was more similar to Avada Kedavra if he had to be honest with himself. The hair was his, but lacked its unruliness, instead having a small wave to it.
"Jaiiiiimes!" The boy laughed out again, his baby language distorting his name, and James Potter smiled a small, but bitter smile. Not once, no matter how many times they tried, had Harry called him dad. Not once. It hurt more than he was willing to admit, even to himself.
"His magic is out of control, James. Again!" Lily was wiping her eyes, again berating herself for being a bad mother. No matter what she did, Harry would never listen to her, or James.
"Lily, come my sweet, go to bed, I'll stay with Harry-poo." James Potter hugged his now crying wife, trying to convince himself that he wasn't a bad father.
"No poo!" Harry suddenly became angry, and tossed his favourite teddy onto the floor. "Hawwy is no poo!" The rest of the mirror and glass in the room exploded, and Lily started to cry again.
"No poo, just Harry, right, little man?" James hugged his angry son who started to calm down. Harry never liked any special names he had for him.
"We'll talk to Dumbledore. There is an Order meeting tomorrow, and Albus will know how to handle Harry's magic," James's soothing voice was gentle as he hugged Lily. "He's just very powerful," he added, kissing her tears away, "just like his daddy." He added with a small laugh, and Lily finally smiled.
"You're right, my love. I just didn't think it would be so hard. It just feels sometimes like Harry hates me." Lily hugged James before moving to Harry—they preferred to use the shortened version of the name—and kissing his black hair.
"Mommy loves you, Harry. Mommy loves you so much," she whispered tenderly and with a smile, she turned to James. "I'll be sleeping only for an hour, and then it's my shift, Prongs."
The husband and wife smiled at each other and the small boy.
xxx
Lily woke up later when it was almost dawn—3.47am read the clock—and berating her too caring husband for allowing her to sleep so long, she quickly got up, and after washing her face and putting on a comfortable gown, she went upstairs.
It looked like James had finally managed to make Harry sleep, and most likely, was asleep himself. Lily didn't remember the house having been so quiet.
When she wanted to cast a silencing charm on herself—she didn't need two awake Potters at the moment— that Lily remembered her wand was still in Harry's room. Sleepless nights were getting to her, she thought with a small smile and opened the door to the nursery.
There, she saw James, bound with ropes and hanging near one wall, petrified and silenced. Near Harry's cot stood a woman with long, black, curly hair and with his back to her, facing the window was another person, dressed in a long dark cloak. Lily wanted the cooing woman away from Harry—who was gladly playing with her black hair, laughing quietly in joy—, and when the woman turned to look at her with a mocking smirk, Lily recognized her. Bellatrix.
Oh God, no!
Harry!
She tried to scream when she understood that she was now also petrified and bound, and the man turned around.
The red eyes gave away the identity immediately.
Voldemort.
"Hello again, Lily." Lily Potter blacked out knowing that Bellatrix Lestrange was playing with her son, and Lord Voldemort was there to kill them all.
She would have cried if she could.
xxx
She had been shocked when her Master had demanded an unbreakable Vow from her. She didn't need any Vow, she'd go to hell and back for him, but she still took it. And found out that her Lord, her Master, had a child.
With a Mudblood.
She wanted to cry and scream "why not me?!" but she knew her place. What was done, was done, as her Lord often said, and now Bellatrix was elated. The Dark Lord was going to get his heir back, and she would get the highest possible award. She would be his Lord's son's mother figure. While she had never wanted children—nasty, dirty shits—, having the glory of taking care of the Dark Lord's child was something she had never even dreamt of. She would do her Lord proud. Very proud.
She, and only she, was allowed to accompany the Dark Lord, and Bellatrix almost glowed with pride. They had broken into the Potter's house as easily as if it had been an old, abandoned barn, with no magical wards in place, and after a few seconds, they were in the nursery, with a sleeping Potter who had no wand near him, and a sleeping child in the cot.
The Dark Lord was the first to enter, immediately setting anti-apparition wards, and binding the still-sleeping James Potter.
As they entered, the little brat woke up, and looked at them with shiny green eyes. Bella needed only a second to take to the child who stretched his small hands towards them. Looking at the precious—he definitely was not a brat!—little child, Bella saw her Lord's features on the small face followed by the Avada Kedavra-green eyes—how appropriately wonderful!— that glinted with joy when she reached out to him.
Her hand was smacked away by the Dark Lord, and Bella bowed in silent forgiveness, looking on as her Lord touched the child. Their hands were holding tight when the boy—Harrison—finally hissed.
Oh Merlin, it was real! Bella wanted to make a happy dance, but forced herself to wait for it. Soon.
She didn't know what Harrison had hissed as she didn't have the honour of knowing the language of snakes, but whatever it was, her Lord was mesmerized, his gaze not leaving the child for a second.
"Mine." Bellatrix shivered in pleasure and little bit of fear at the obsessive tone of her Lord, and with a renewed vigour turned to look the child over.
Harrison gently—so unlike spoilt Draco—took a long strand of her hair and magically started to twirl it. Now this was definitely the Dark Lord's son.
Just when Bella was starting to enjoy herself, the door opened and the blasted Mudblood walked in.
Hahaha, surprise!
Itty bitty Lily.
xxx
It was very funny and Bella tried not to snicker when both Potters were awoken, still immobile and silenced. Their eyes, crazy with worry, were trained on Harrison and Bella wished to scratch their eyes out for even looking at the Dark Lord's heir.
He was his…and hers, Bella mused with an almost dreamy smile. Harrison turned to look at his fake parents before returning his gaze back at her and the Dark Lord. What a pretty baby!
"Do you know why I am here tonight, Potter?" The Dark Lord addressed James Potter with a malicious smile on his handsome face. Oh, this was going to be good. So good that Bella could barely behave.
The pureblood traitor's eyes were mad with worry when he shook his head.
"I am here because your Mudblood wife is a nasty whore who had the honour of being my plaything once." Bella almost snickered at the widened in horror eyes.
Potty.
"Against a wall, like a dirty hooker from Knockturn Alley." Now Bella snickered finally, unable to hold on for longer, and caught her Lord's smirk.
Oh yes.
"Do you know how she screamed my name in pleasure, Potter?" James was now trashing in his ropes, but to no avail. The Dark Lord was too powerful.
"And then, she had the audacity to parade my son as yours?" The effect on Potter was immense, his wailing almost going through the silencing wards. Bella saw the Dark Lord draw his wand at the Mudblood before he cast a spell.
"Oblivate Reditus!"
A few seconds went by before unseen horror entered Mudblood's green, dull eyes.
Remember the honour you were given, Mudblood! And die! You nasty, lucky bitch!
James Potter was now looking at his whore of a wife, and Bella allowed herself a belly laugh, followed by the Dark Lord's chuckling.
"You see, Potter, little Harrison never called you father because you aren't one." Bella couldn't remember a time when she had enjoyed herself so immensely. Potter had started to silently cry, shaking his head of unruly hair in denial. Yeees, her Lord had entered Potter's mind when restraining him earlier. Her Master knew where to hit to give the utmost pain.
Oooh...itty bitty Potter. It was so saaad, so baaad...Bella's red lips were stretched in a very nasty, mocking smirk while she observed the Pureblood traitor.
Her Master moved closer to the cot, and stretched his hand to Harrison again. "See for yourself."
The little boy hissed something again, making both Potters cry and shiver.
Tihihi...Yes!
"In English, Harrison, so that James understands as well," the Dark Lord whispered to his son, and the reply he got made James Potter roar silently.
"Papa."
Sweet child, knowing immediately who his father was. Knowing pure from mud. If she could, she'd take the boy into her arms, but alas, she had to wait.
"Now that's my boy." The Dark Lord's hand was holding Harrison's cheek, stroking it with his thumb lightly.
Smiling, the Dark Lord raised his wand and before casting the curse, he smiled at the broken figure of James Potter.
"He has always had one father, Potter." The tip of the wand started to glow green, like Harrison's eyes. "And it has never been you."
"Avada Kedavra!"
James Potter was now lifelessly hanging from the ceiling, and Bellatrix turned to her Lord, silently begging for something she was sure she was never going to get.
The red eyes were looking at the Mudblood, and then her Lord smiled.
"You wish it so badly, Bella." His velvety voice was everything to her. "And seeing that you'll be his new mother…" The Dark Lord let the sentence die off, smirking at the Mudblood's horrified face, frozen mask of terror and sorrow. And guilt.
Her Master stepped closer to the cot, offering his hands and embrace to small Harrison, who without hesitation crawled into the Dark Lord's hold, the green eyes shining happily. Bellatrix smiled at the fluffy overall the boy was wearing, its red colour reflecting in her Lord's red eyes. How fitting!
"The Mudblood is yours, Bella."
She had never been so happy casting the Killing Curse, its light taking away the life of the nasty Mudblood who had given her this wonderful gift.
After the Mudblood's corpse joined the one of her husband, Bella laughed, following her Master who now had the sweet child in his hands, green eyes twinkling at her.
This was happiness, Bellatrix thought while casting Incendio and watching the whole house burn down, she danced a little dance while her Lord apparated away with Harrison.
Oh yes.
a/n reviews and constructive criticism are very welcome.