Unfinished Business: Shattered Pieces
DISCLAIMER: Look at first chapter.
WARNING: Look at first chapter.
Knowledge is Power
"I hear that you had quite the interlude this morning," Harry said when he came across his son later that day in the library.
"Mr. Malfoy told you," James said, not bothering to make it a question when his dad closed the door behind him.
"He did, but is there something you need to tell me?" Harry asked as he sat down beside James.
"It's … complicated."
"Then I suggest that you try your best to un-complicate it."
"I … can't."
Waving his wand before them, Harry cast a privacy spell around them before turning back to his son.
"Are you in some sort of trouble?"
"No… Not really," James said unconvincingly.
"James," Harry chided.
"What! I already told you that I can't tell you!" James cried as he avoided his dad's gaze.
"Okay," Harry said, giving up. "Just know that cheating never solves your problems. It only compounds it."
"Are you speaking from experience?" James said as he finally turned to his dad.
"Excuse me?"
"Are you talking about you cheating on Mum?"
"What… Where did you get that idea from?"
"Molly, she noticed that I have a mark on my stomach that only those born from a Carrier have. Now, you already told me that you're a Carrier, which is why I am. But if what Molly suspects is true then that would make it impossible for Mum to be my mother, and that I actually have another father."
"It's…" Harry started though couldn't find it in himself to lie to his son.
"Complicated? Try your best to un-complicate it," he mimicked his father.
"Don't try to be smart with me," Harry chastised.
"Sorry," James said though it didn't sound like he meant it. "I've just never known you to be a hypocrite."
"I'm not a hypocrite. I just don't know how to tell you."
"So you are going to tell me?" James asked, looking surprised.
"If you're willing to tell me what you're up to, I don't see why I shouldn't give you the same curtesy," Harry conceded as he got up from the couch. "But not here. Not now."
"Where? When?" James said as he sat up straight, eager to know what his dad was keeping from him.
"I just have to do one thing first. Meet me in my room in an hour."
"HE WAS IN HIS NIGHT CLOTHES FOR GOODNESS SAKE!" Draco bellowed at the stock still teen. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Even though I admit that I didn't think about the implications of my actions, I do not regret them," BJ chuckled. "But I'm surprised that you're not on my side. You're always telling me that if you want something badly enough, you should just take it."
"NOT IF IT'S MY OWN … guest!" Draco shouted, calming down as he realised that he almost give himself away. "Not in my own house!"
"I'm sorry," BJ tried to apologise. "I won't do it here next time."
"You're right," Draco said as he brandished his wand, freaking the teen out. "Except there won't be a next time."
Harry's sudden appearance in the room they were in surprised both occupants. BJ looked to the Auror, begging with his eyes for help, while Draco tried unsuccessfully to hide his wand from the other man.
"Harry. I thought you were talking to James," Draco said, trying to distract the other man.
"I did," Harry said as he surveyed the scene. "Why was the door sealed? What are you doing?"
"Nothing," the blonde said a little too quickly while BJ tried to signal for his help again.
"Okay," Harry shrugged. "But I need you to come with me now," Harry said as he came up to the blonde.
"Can it wait? I'm kind of in the middle of something."
"It's not like he's going anywhere. The room is still sealed," Harry said, but when the blonde refused to be moved, he leaned in a whispered something in his ear.
"Bloody Weasleys," Draco grumbled before conceding to leave. "Don't leave. I'm not done with you yet."
With that said, Harry and Draco each grabbed a hold of one of the house elf's hands and were whisked out of the room, leaving a very relieved young Slytherin behind.
At the end of the hour, James found himself in front of his dad's door. He knocked rapidly on the door, eager to find out what his dad was keeping from him. James figured that his dad was doing it for a good reason. The man had never kept anything from him before. The only exception was when it was for work. The thought that he was doing it about something so important to their family hurt James.
Only a few seconds past before the door opened and he was greeted by his dad. After Harry gestured for him to come inside, James obeyed. It wasn't until the door closed behind him that he even noticed the small house elf standing in the middle of the room.
"Take a hold of her hand so we can be off," Harry said as he came from behind his son to take a hold of the house elf's hand.
"Where are we going?" James asked in confusion even as he did as his dad told him.
"Not far," was all Harry said before they were suddenly transported out of Harry's room and into Mr. Malfoy's room, if the blonde sitting on the bed was any indication.
"What are we doing here? Is Mr. Malfoy my other father?" James asked in shock, the implications of which were making his head ache.
"Easy James. One step at a time. The first thing you need to know is that a lot of the things you think you know are not real."
"Your mother is not your mother. Harry would never marry such a manipulative cow," Draco commented.
"Draco," Harry chided as he sat down beside the blonde.
"Sorry," the blonde said with no conviction. "And I'm not married to that sap of a woman claiming to be my wife."
"Draco, you're not helping."
"I am," Draco insisted. "I'm setting the groundwork for you."
"As appreciative as I am. Let me do the talking."
"Fine," he said grumpily as he folded his arms in defeat, which James couldn't help but find amusing.
"Now, as I was saying… The day you were set to go to Hogwarts this year, someone cast a curse over the wizarding world that shifted the reality of our family. The truth is that yes, Draco is your father, and Scorpius is your younger brother and Albus' twin. But up until a few months ago, you were aware of that."
"But a spell made me forget?" James guessed.
"Exactly," Harry said, relieved that his son understood.
"What kind of spell?"
"We don't know yet."
"Who cast it?"
"We don't know that either, but it was most likely one of two people."
"Mother or Mrs. Malfoy?" James guessed, figuring it was one of the two ladies that didn't fit into the family his dad was creating for him.
"First off, Ms. Weasley is not your mother. She didn't give birth to you. Harry did," Draco insisted, causing Harry to roll his eyes. "Secondly, Ms. Greengrass has never been, nor will she ever be, a Malfoy."
"Thank you, Draco."
"So let me get this straight. One of two women cast a curse over the entire wizarding world, and changed reality, with the specific goal of spitting up our family."
"In a nutshell."
"You do realise how messed up that sounds, don't you?"
"We are aware."
"They tried to do something like this before," Draco explained. "Before you were even born, they plotted with each other to split us up. It took us three years to get back together that time, so their involvement in this isn't as farfetched as you may think."
"So does that mean that I'm actually James Malfoy?"
"No. You're still James Potter," Harry explained.
"Even though the Malfoy name still carries a lot of weight in the wizarding world, your dad and I felt that the Potter name was better."
"Okay. Is that all?" James asked as he processed it all.
"Actually there is one other thing," Harry said, turning to Draco before getting up from the bed. "You see, even though Ginny isn't your mother, we will still be getting a new addition to the family," he said as he touched his stomach.
"Wait. Does that mean you're-" James started saying as he pointed uncertainly to his dad.
"That I'm pregnant? Yes, it does," Harry said, pulling his shirt up slightly and revealing his swollen stomach.
Not expecting that bit of information, James couldn't help but be fascinated by the sight of his dad's protruding belly. Even though he just found out that his dad had given birth to him and his siblings, James was more curious than surprised by all of this. Maybe it was because he already knew that his dad was a Carrier, as was he in turn. But seeing it first hand was, as far as he knew, something new to him.
"You seem to be taking this very well," Harry noticed, pulling down his shirt as he watched his son's acceptance of the whole thing.
"Well, it explains why Scorpius and Albus are so attached to each other, also why Lily insisted that she takes after our grandmother. Wait, do they already know about this?"
"Lily does. Her magic protected her from whatever spell hit the rest of us, but your brothers don't know anything yet. And they can't know. You can't let on that anything is different until we know who and what we're dealing with."
"Okay," James nodded in understanding.
"Great," Draco said as he clasped his hands together. "So now that we've told you what we're up to, what was that thing with you and BJ this morning?" Draco asked with a pointed stare.
"Oh that…" James laughed nervously. "Well BJ has a crush on me."
"We got that already," Draco said impatiently.
"And he doesn't like that I'm dating McLaggen."
"Neither do I. He's a prat," the blonde said point blank.
"Draco," Harry said in a drained tone.
"So he came to my … room, trying to get me to change my mind about him."
"By kissing you."
"Yes," the teen said with an uncertain hesitancy.
It wasn't the whole truth. But James wasn't about to tell the man that was supposed to be his father what was really going on. Especially after he had already stated his dislike for McLaggen.
"Okay then," Harry said as he got up from the bed and signaled for his house elf before turning to the blonde. "Draco, can you keep your darlingwife preoccupied so your children and I can decorate the Christmas tree?"
"How?" Draco asked as Harry and James each took a hold of the tiny elf's hands.
"I don't know," Harry shrugged. "Be creative. Get her a drink. Ask her some questions," he suggested before he and James were suddenly gone.
When Harry and James landed back in Harry's room, the Auror dismissed the elf. Then he turned to his son, who was already heading for the door.
"Not so fast young man. You still haven't told me what you're up to," Harry said before James could reach the door.
"I did," James insisted unconvincingly.
"You told me part of what was going on, but I know when you're keeping something from me. Now I figured you didn't say everything because your father was there. Now that it's just you and me, I expect the whole truth."
"You promise not to overreact?"
"James," Harry said in warning.
"Or tell my father, who is clearlyoverprotective."
"If it's nothing serious, or dangerous, I don't see why your father needs to know," Harry said reluctantly.
"Okay," James said before taking a deep breath.
James told his dad everything he had told BJ. Harry hadn't seemed very pleased that his son was being used, but James had assured his father that he was taking care of it himself. Then he proceeded to tell his father the events leading up to BJ kiss him, to which his dad merely shook his head in disbelief.
"You're playing with fire, James. I can't see how things are going to end well with this."
"Well they certainly wouldn't have if I hadn't found out what McLaggen was up to."
"Just … be careful," Harry warned.
"Don't I always?" James smiled cheekily.
As Harry suggested, Draco went in search of Astoria. It was time he found out if she was responsible for their predicament or not. He found her easily enough in the parlor room chatting with his mother.
After the incident with Astoria and Ginny breaking him and Harry up, his mother had been furious with the young schemers. So much so that she had set up spells around the Manor specifically cast to expel them should either of them try to come near.
The first time Astoria had tried, she had not been aware of the wards and had set off a particularly nasty one that disintegrated all of her hair. She had not tried to come back after that. Draco didn't know how she managed to get around all of the spells his mother had put up, but he found it disconcerting to find her and his mother chatting amicably when the latter had loathed the former only a few months ago.
"Mother," Draco said as he walked into the room, gaining the attention of both ladies. "If you will excuse us. I need to talk to Astoria for a moment."
"Of course," Narcissa smiled as she got up from her place beside Astoria. "I should be finding your father anyhow. He promised to take me flying around the Manor before lunch," she said and then pecked her son on the cheek before leaving the room.
"What do I owe the pleasure, dear husband?" Astoria said, finishing off her glass of wine before getting up to pour herself another glass.
"There are some things I would like to discuss with you," Draco said as he came further into the room.
"Oh," Astoria said as she sat down, putting her glass on the table in the process.
The moment the glass was on the table, Astoria fell unconscious. The sleeping potion Draco had made the house elf slip into her drink when the woman had been distracted by his entrance had finally taken effect. Draco then pulled a vail from his pocket containing the Veritaserum. He walked over to Astoria and forced her mouth open before pouring three drops from the potion inside. Then he corked the bottle and placed it back in his pocket.
After that, Draco brandished his wand and sealed off the room so he wouldn't be interrupted. Then he bound Astoria to the chair. He wasn't taking any chances. He didn't want anyone leaving unless he allowed them to.
"Rennervate," Draco said and watched as a bright red light flew from his wand and hit Astoria in the chest.
Slowly, Astoria opened unfocused eyes, her face expressionless.
"Astoria, can you hear me?" Draco asked, testing the potion's effects.
"Yes," she said in a monotone voice.
"Good," Draco said, satisfied. "You're going to answer a few questions for me. Do you understand?"
"Yes," Astoria said with the same tone.
"Excellent."
"Daddy. Lift me up so I can put the star on," Lily said as she held the golden star up to Harry.
After Harry and James' discussion, they had set out to find the rest of James' siblings. They had been easily spotted outside. Scorpius and Albus had been engaged in a snowball fight that ended with Albus' hair so white that he and Scorpius really did look like twins. Lily had not been that far away, making snow angels.
They had been eager at the prospect of helping Harry and James set up the Christmas tree. After casting a drying spell on the three of them, Harry led them all to the family room. There he pulled out a tree he had cut down in the forest last night and shrunk to fit in his pocket.
Once on the floor, Harry had used a reversal spell to bring the tree to its full height. A few hours later, with the house elves bringing them lunch at noon, and after five tinsel fights and three glitter wars, the tree was almost complete. The last thing it needed was the star at the top of the tree.
Harry brandished his wand, the only time he used magic to decorate the tree. It was a tradition for Lily to put the star up and she liked the feeling of floating in the air. Just as she was being risen from the floor, the door to the room opened and Draco walked in.
Draco watched as his little girl hovered over the tree before securing the star on top. He was glad that he hadn't missed this part. The tinsel fights and glitter wars he could live without, thank you very much, but the moment when everyone looked on at their creation as Lily put the final touch into place…
That was something Draco wouldn't miss for the world.
After everything was said and done and everyone was satisfied with the end result, they all retreated to the couch to admire their work. Even though James and the twins didn't remember how things used to be, they easily settled into how things were supposed to be.
Harry was the first to take a seat on the couch by the fire, with Lily climbing on to his lap. Even though she was already nine years old, she was still Harry's little girl. James sat next to Harry, resting his head on his dad's shoulder and tucking his feet behind him. The twins sat on the floor next to each other, with Albus nestled between Harry's legs. Albus rested his head on one of Harry's legs while Scorpius rested his head on the other one.
They all soon fell asleep after that, the excitement of the day finally taking their toll. Everyone nestled against each other as Draco sat in the chair on the other side of the room, pretending to read a book while secretly watching them.
It was an hour still till they were to get ready for dinner when Harry's eyes slowly opened to the scene around him. He spotted Draco across the room, with a small smile on his face.
"Did you find out what you wanted to know?"
"I did," Draco said distractingly as he turned his head to the fire.
Harry watched the telltale signs of worry on his love's face and wondered what the blonde had found out to make him so concerned. Harry was only comforted with the knowledge that he would find out later tonight when everyone went to bed. Though there was one thing he was curious about.
"Did you let BJ out?"
"Crap," Draco said before jumping out of the chair and calling for his house elf.
End of Chapter: Knowledge is Power
