Hey everyone,
So after a bit of thinking did I decide to further play on the family/romance aspect of this story, so instead of another HP & SS chapter, will I indeed bring the fully formed bodies of Lea and James back into the Special room and will I add a little shocking surprise that I have actually been keeping a secret for now.
The reason? I love HarryxLea stories, but I already have other HarryxLea stories and while I love that pairing, do I prefer to give a twist to it each time I can. Which is why, in the Light series, it's just Harry and Lea with Harry being very young, in To Read Into The Universe, it's Harry and Lea paired with two others and in this one – well, I know/hope you'll enjoy it.
Excited, yet,

Venquine1990


Chapter 16
Mates Arrive, Mates Mark

28th of January 1996
Destiny's Haven
James' POV

I had been leaning against the wall of my new room, recapping things that have happened outside of Campbrina High when suddenly I feel as if a large part of me was pulled out of me and after just blinking once did I see something I didn't think I would see until the plans Destiny had thought up had become fulfilled.
My eldest son, the eldest son of my best friend Frank Longbottom, my own sweet mate Sirius and finally my youngest son, Harry, who I had been hearing a lot about from those who had been catching me up before I arrived here. Yet it had been Sora who had drawn my attention to him the most as he had called me.
I had been tentative in my movement when approaching him, yet the closer I got the more sure I got that it was really him and when my presence started sensing the heat coming from his own form, did I respond with the speed I have been known for and did I hug my seventeen-year-old son for the first time since he was born.
Sora had clung to me like a newborn wanting his mother's love and this had made my heart soar with happiness over finally having my son back in my life and having the knowledge that, even though he has been raised by another, he already accepts me as his mother, yet the reunion was apparently not to last forever.

As just when I want to open my eyes again, do I notice that, while my spectral form had moved, my actual body back where I had stayed hadn't and I notice this as, the minute I open my eyes, I don't see the room that my mate, sons and son's mate are in, but the room where my sister and I were catching up with our friends.
The others look at me worriedly and Lily asks: "Are you alright? You're crying." And while I cringe at this and wipe the tears away, do I hear an ethereal voice say: "You deserved to know they were alright, just like they deserved to know you were alive. When they have their next break, you will be fully formed for one hour."
And while this shocks the others, is Kingsley the first to recuperate and he asks: "You – you saw Sirius and the others?" I nod and say: "And got to hug Sora." Which makes Lily smile at me lovingly before Remus asks: "Are they all alright?" To which I nod and say: "They are, they seem to – be reading something."
This confuses the whole group and while I wonder what this could be, does it seem as if the others just don't feel completely satisfied with the short amount of time we had together as not even half an hour after my soul had been send there and back, do I this time feel magic covering my entire body and moving it elsewhere.

Lea's POV

Roxas and the others had joined Isa and me shortly after I started gushing about my precious Firefly and I happily told them the same thing I told Isa, the man himself just laughing at how I spoke and interrupting me a second time before I could go too far. Roxas also laughed and told Axel: "See, I'm not the only one who does this."
Shocking me, but Axel just shrugged and said: "I commented on it, I never said I minded you gushing about us, Roxy." And he had happily pulled the blonde closer against his side, having learned to do this without risking them both falling off the ledge over the past few months. Yet I easily notice how Xion is now looking at me with a look of longing on her face.
I had waited until we were all leaving for the night before approaching her and taking her apart from the others before whispering: "One day, it will be yours as well. Just keep that memorized." Only to get shocked at hearing her whisper: "I just – I had hoped that – like Roxas and Axel – it would have been you and me, you know?" I had winced at this and apologized as I said:
"Sorry, but I consider you more like a little sister. Though you are still a part of my heart and you always will be. Keep it memorized, will you little one?" Xion had nodded, a large smile on her face as she said: "As long as that stays the case and you don't stop to have ice cream with Roxas, Axel and me, I'm okay with it." I had promised her this before we departed.

Yet last night had been kind of strange as I had all kinds of dreams and while all of them had been very pleasant, had not all of them been of Harry – or at least I cannot be fully sure if they were as there were some of them that showed me someone who could just as well be considered Harry's female twin sister or something.
Both these as well as the ones with Harry himself had given me an empowered sense of all the emotions that go through me when just thinking of the little Firefly and while this confuses me, do I have the strong belief that the stranger group of dreams might be somehow connected to the world of magic where my Firefly lives.
I had definitely enjoyed the whole night of different dreams that, with random bouts of darkness that overtook my conscious mind, making me just further succumb to the realm of sleep, yet afterwards it had taken me a bit of contemplation before I came to the conclusion of the world and this had made me make a decision.

I had returned back to the store I had visited yesterday, yet this time I had used a lot of the Munny I have been earning over the last few months to actually buy female cloths and for some reason while doing this did I not remember the dreams of the female I had seen, yet I had envisioned Harry in them – and those thoughts excited me.
Yet, just a few minutes after finishing my purchases and stocking them in the pocket of my robe that I – when I was still Axel – used to store my weapon equipment, healing items and other stuff used for on missions, do I again feel the incredible power of Lady Destiny enveloping me and her voice speaking in my ear:
"They wish to see you again. Speak with them of your dreams. It will strengthen your bond." And while I wonder if she was perhaps the one to send me the female dreams, do I still feel very happy to return to the room where I have been arriving for the last several times, only it takes me a few minutes to notice that something is different.
And looking down do I see what this is as, to my shock, I see that my body is fully solid and that I have actually been transported body and soul to this room, just like I was when taking the others to this room and then their bedrooms. Yet before I can fully realize this, does another bright light send in someone else.

And this someone else is someone who looks like an older version of the old Harry except this man has hazel brown eyes and a slightly smaller forehead as well as a more pointed nose. The man had apparently been leaning back against something as he almost falls over, yet his reflexes are incredible as they catch him just in time.
Then the light that brought the man here leaves him and heads for the double doors that – in all the times I have come here – I have yet to pass through and the man looks at me as he asks: "Did that just –?" And while he lets the question hanging, do I nod with a happy smile on my face as I say: "We are about to have company."

The man smiles and then the door opens, the sight behind it making me very happy as my sweet Firefly is actually wearing the outfit I gave him yesterday and it looks absolutely amazing on him, yet then something happens that shocks and confuses me as somehow a table with six seats appears between the group and us.
This shocks me, but then I notice that all of the smaller things that had been in the room before; the toys and other stuff, are gone and while I wonder if this is some kind of magic known to my little Firefly and his world, does Harry first approach me and gives me a very happy warm hug before turning to my partner.
And as he does, do I suddenly notice how he, Sirius, the man himself and Sora all have tears of pure elation shining in their eyes before Sirius is the first to launch himself across the room, yet the man had been expecting this as he catches the father of my Firefly mid run and happily pulls him snuggly close against his form.

"James – it – it – it's you. This – this – this isn't – after so – so long. I – I – I missed you. Oh, Merlin, Founders and Morgana Le Fay, I missed you so much. I love you, James. I love you and no one – no one – will ever separate us again. We're family and – and I – I will fight – Destiny herself – to keep you with me. I promise."

This whole speech shocks me and also makes me realize something; Destiny had asked me to bring the father and two sons to this room, but not the mother. This makes me turn a questioning eye to the only one not currently standing around the person who came here with me and Riku moves over to stand with me as he says:
"Apparently Potters can't mentally or emotionally stand more than eight years of war if they aren't fully supported in both of those areas and because the two of them had to hide their relationship, did it break the man and – when he was sure his cause was lost before Halloween '81 – did it make him decide to just disappear.
He took a position at a very secretive boarding school and made it look as if he and his sister had died in the event that temporarily took out the Darkness of Harry's world. Sirius didn't get to find out about this until the night before last and Harry and Sora only heard of it from him last chapter." To this I nod, but then ask:

"Wait, chapter?" Riku nods and says: "Destiny brought us here to read seven books about Harry's past, present and future as well as DVD's about all the adventures Sora and I went through." This shocks me and while it makes me jealous that the boy can read what I cannot, do I hear the voice of Destiny in my mind:
"Once they have finished one book it will be copied and send both to you and Lily in the other world." Making me smile before I ask: "So Firefly, how do you like the new outfit?" To which I get a downright dazzling smile aimed my way as he says: "I absolutely love it." Only for his eye to suddenly fall on my cargo.
"Wow, do you always buy that much?" He asks and when the others look at the bags near me, do I feel my face heating up, causing Riku to look at me strangely and I sigh as I say: "I – heh – might as well be honest. The sort of chance to meet with you yesterday, Firefly, left me with some after-effects – that occurred in my sleep."

Now Harry turns a little red himself as well, yet the look that Sirius sends me instantly makes me defend myself and say: "Not like that!" To which the man raises his eyebrow and I say: "No, I swear on my Keyblade, I did not get dreams like that. Yes, I dreamed of possible futures and events, but not any of those."
The man nods and Sora puts his hands in the back of his neck as he asks: "So, what do those dreams have to do with the bags you have with you? And why do they make your face be covered by your favorite element?" And while part of me now wants to make the boy meet said element from up close, do I sigh and say:
"Harry, Firefly, please. Don't take this the wrong way, but – for some strange reason that I really don't understand, but that still made me feel as great as just being around you does – did these dreams of last night get split in half. One half was of incredible dreams with you in them and the other half – was about a – a female you."

And while part of me had really wanted to say a female twin version of you did I just not feel right saying such a thing, yet at the same time does this still cause for great shock to show on everyone's faces before suddenly – to my great confusion – Sirius turns from me to his son and he softly, caringly asks the boy: "Harry?"
And while this confuses me, do I then notice how Harry has a slight blush on his own face before he shocks me and while a tentative sense of courage comes off of the boy, does he look me right in the eyes, his grey eyes with spots of blue and brown shining with a strange mix of need and a slight hint of fear as he asks:
"Can – can I – can I try some of them? M-m-m-maybe – a dress?" The boy then whispers, his voice only just loud enough for me to hear it and discern what he whispers, yet it still shocks me and while part of my mind suddenly envisions how he would look in one of the dresses I bought just earlier, do I then see something confusing.

Both James and Sirius have large smiles on their faces as they look at their son and then James says something that shocks me. "You are so much like me." Making everyone look at the two as Sirius drapes a loving arm around his mate's shoulder and leans against the man before James continues to speak and says:
"When I was pregnant of both you and Sora, it was only the fact that we were hiding our actual relationship that made me hold back on the desire within me to – just for the time I was pregnant – change my gender and wear female cloths – dresses, skirts, shirts that reveal cleavage, the works – and yet, I couldn't."
Now the man sighs and says: "I have no doubt that this fact is one of the things that, while I didn't realize it at the time, worked to power up the Potter War Curse and that made me break and flee all those years ago. I – Harry, I don't want you to make the same mistake I did. Take this chance, son, do what I didn't dare to."
And while Harry had already made the first move by asking that tentative question, do his eyes now shine with determined, elated pride and he nods at the man before sending me another questioning glance, making me smile at him with love in my heart and eyes before I divulge myself once more into my shopping bags.

Yet it takes me only a minute of looking through before I find something I had more or less forgotten I had bought as I had enjoyed picking out various outfits, yet at the same time does my mind instantly think of Beast's Castle and how it would feel to have a romantic dance in the Ball room with my mate wearing that dress.
This makes the smile on my face widen and I hand him the folded dress, Harry's eyes shining with amazement as he feels how soft the linen fabric feels to the touch. He then sends all of us another elated smile before dashing for the room I had brought him to on the evening that this whole entire event actually began.

All of us smile at the back of the boy's form disappearing through the door and up the stairs before Sora asks: "So wait, if you really wanted to do that, why didn't you just think of an excuse to hide yourself away and then spend a couple of days a week or month there as a female and the rest of the time as a male?"
And while part of me is shocked at how easy the boy accepts that his mum would have rather been female than male while pregnant, does the man sigh and say: "Two reasons. One, I was the target of a lot of Death Eaters and they were constantly spying on me and the others for your grandmother's sake, so I couldn't risk it.
The other, I knew myself. I knew I wouldn't be able to just accept such short periods of time and that, if I listened to this desire, I might change myself permanently and such a drastic transformation during a war like ours was a hazard I couldn't afford if I wanted to survive and see the end of the war through with my loved ones.

Even if, in the end, I didn't even allow myself that chance." The man then mutters desolately in the end and Sirius, who still has his arm slung over his mate's shoulder then pulls the man closer as he whispers: "That was not your fault, my little hoofed one. The war was just too intense for two teens in love to handle.
We underestimated all the factors of our life's situation and that became our downfall, yet we were not the only ones and while many others fell in battle because of it, we just got separated for an extended period of time. But none of that matters now, Prongs. We're here, we're together and we are going to fight to keep it that way."

And while I am amazed by how heartfelt the man sounds as he speaks, does it seem to be exactly what his partner needed to hear before Sora suddenly says: "Oh hey Lea, I almost forgot. Harry is a Kitsune and he is really coming into his inheritance. He even fought Simba while transformed and won." Which shocks me into asking:
"How did Simba come here?" And the boy shrugs, again with his hands in the back of his head as he says: "I summoned him, of course. Oh, and Harry has a Keyblade too. Riku helped him get one before you came here last time." This both shocks and amazes and impresses me, but then James shocks us all as he asks:
"Wait. A Keyblade. Is that something like this?" And to all of our shock does the man summon an incredible Keyblade that is known as Bond of Flame from his right hand, while his left is wrapped around his mate's waist and then Sora says: "So that's what burned grandma's portrait. It was mum's Keyblade. Wicked!"

And while I do agree with the younger Wielder, does a voice then sound from behind me that says: "This – is – gorgeous." Which makes all of us turn back to where Harry had vanished into his room and the sight that greets us from the doorway of the bedroom is one that makes my heart speed up in beating to incredible levels.
A low-cut round neckline that shows off both a lot of tanned skin and collarbone, sleeves that stop halfway up the upper arms and that, along with the neckline, front and back of the shirt is embroidered with bronze and gold beadings, the neckline at the front itself is made of an almost transparent fabric that is covered with the beads.
The rest of the dress is a soft azure blue color and has a cross waistline that goes from the left arm down to the right hip and which is also covered with bronze beads embroidery shaped like petals and leafs that then, when the waistline ends, move down all the way to the bottom of the dress where a single rose is shown.
The whole dress is in a trumpet-set design and shows off the beautiful shapes, curves and edges of my Firefly's body, while the bronze, the gold and the blue make his skin shine with a pale-tanned beauty and makes the brown and blue flecks in the boy's gorgeous silver eyes stand out even more, especially the blue ones.

All in all the boy looks royally gorgeous and, while I am sure that what I am about to do is incredibly cliché, can I not help myself as I whisper: "Yes, you really are." Making the others and Harry all smile at me, Harry's face flushing slightly, which becomes even more pronounced thanks to the bronze and blue of the dress.
Smiling at how easy it is to charm my lovely little mate, do I move over, softly lying a single hand on his blushing cheek as I ask: "And what is this I just heard? Do you have another form due to some kind of inheritance?" The boy nods and I smile at him in loving intrigue as I ask: "Would you care to show me?"
But the boy shakes his head and says: "It makes me turn into a lion hybrid and I don't want my claws to ruin this beautiful dress." Which only makes me smile at him and then, regardless of the fact that his parents and brother are right behind me, do I let his sweet beauty and the way that his eyes lock with mine draw me in.

I bend my body slowly forward while using the hand on Harry's cheek to carefully tempt him to come closer as well and while shock flashes through his eyes, does he still listen to the invitation I give him and does he also move slowly closer, his eyes shining more and more with loving anticipation as we get closer together.
Then there is nothing but an inch of air between the two of us and while I am amazed by the fact that the others in the room had all this time to step in and didn't, do I take this satisfying thought as a last bit of incentive and while following Harry's example and closing my eyes, do I move forward and press my lips against his.
My body alights the minute my lips touch his and my heart beats even faster than it did when I first saw Harry in his new cloths and while I can only hope that I won't scare him, do I wrap both my arms tightly around the gorgeously clad body in front of me, yet the only sound Harry makes as an answer – is a loving moan of appreciation.

The boy then tilts his head slightly to the side and I move in sync with him, allowing us even closer contact and while my body screams at me to fully claim him, do I just move one hand from his back up to the back of his neck, but then something happens that shocks me as, while it is done by my body, is it totally out of my control.
My fire power ignites within my hand, something that often happens when I summon my Chakrams, yet I don't feel the power of the weapons grow in my hand. Instead of that, do I feel the power gather in my index finger and when it is at its hottest, do my eyes open and widen in shocked fear as it presses itself against Harry's skin.
My whole body tenses with the need to reclaim control of that single digit, yet it seems as if a mind of its own has grown within the finger, but then, while I have no doubt that my tensing muscles have worried the others, does something else happen that actually makes my other arm pull the boy even closer against me.
Harry makes a sound in the back of his throat, exactly where my finger is now still burning something into his skin, but instead of a yelp of shock, a shout of pain or a scream of fear, does a mewling moan of elated delight, one that is mixed with a strong purring undertone, come from the boy's throat, shocking me senseless.

And this shock seems to be what is needed for me to regain control of my body and while I break the kiss, do I stare into Harry's dazed eyes for a short minute before again pressing his body against mine and looking over his shoulder, yet the symbol that is now shown in the back of the gorgeous boy's neck shocks me senseless.
A female lion's head aimed to look straight at me, the eye a lighter color burn than the rest of the head, with its maw open and teeth showing clearly is shown in front of my own actual Keyblade, which is aimed in the opposite direction and behind that is actually a perfectly drawn image of my old robe and one of my Chakrams.
My eyes widen as I see this symbol, something that both represents myself and my mate as well as my past, but then a whistling sound shocks me and I look up, seeing Sirius crouched down in front of me and his gaze aimed at the symbol as well before he smirks at me and shocks me out of all my senses as he says: "Nice claim symbol."

To this, while still holding onto the boy in my arms, if only to give him some comfort after having unwillingly hurt him, do I respond in the only way I know how to: "Nice WHAT?" To which Sora walks over and pushes up his messy hair, allowing me to see a feather and the Way to Dawn crossing each other on his forehead.
My eyes widen and then James moves over and pulls down the neckline of his shirt down his left shoulder, showing two wands crossed behind the head of a dog that looks at me directly and which has a set of antlers behind them before he says: "All magical creatures either get marked or mark their mates, depending on their nature.
Dominants, whether magical creatures or not, always mark their mates and Submissives, whether they or their mates are the magical beings, always have their inner magic shape the claiming symbol. And yes, Lea, inner magic always takes the pain out of the marking, so you can relax, you didn't hurt my little one at all."

And these words do indeed calm my nerves down, making me turn from him to my own mate with a smile and Harry asks: "Can I see it?" To which I nod and then a mirror appears behind him as well as a smaller one in my hand, making me smile as I help him set it in such an angle he can see the incredible looking mark.
Harry uses his hand to direct me a little here and there and then his eyes widen, making me smile before he leans closer and asks: "Is that – really it?" I nod and then Harry both shocks me and makes my whole day as he turns to his mother and asks a single question: "Will it stay if – say – I, you know, change gender?"
And with that one question do I get a clearer image of all the dreams I had last night of Harry as a female than I even did while dreaming, the memory of him looking female with longer hair, an even more slender form and with curves that are currently already shown incredibly just by the dress he wears making me feel very excited.
And then James actually makes me feel as if those dreams visions are of the near future instead of dreams as he raises his arm, actually making a large bottle of dark purple beverage with a soft red hue around it and with dark blue bubbles floating on the top as he says: "Drink this, son, and tomorrow morning, you'll need a new name."


And that is that!
And personally, while not a whole lot was added to this chapter, do I still like the little added bit of content that was added to Lea's part. I will probably go into more detail in the coming chapters, especially the next one as it will involve a conversation about the KH universe. And who knows, maybe after that, even more chances will come up. All I know is that I am very much enjoying all this editing as it allows me to go through what is, admittedly, my #1 favorite bit of work.
Which do you like best?

Venquine1990