Christmas program at school tonight. That's why I'm late ^_^. Only one more day before Christmas break! Yay!
Part 37/?
Harry led the way out of Gryffindor's rooms. After everyone stepped through the door, he turned to look at it. His eyes took in all the pictures carved in relief upon the door. He wanted to check out the rest of the rooms the door led to. First, however, he obviously was going to have to have the conversation with the older men that he had been hoping wouldn't be necessary.
"Thanks for coming along, Roan," he said, smiling at the Seventh Year.
"No problem, Harry," he smiled back. "It's a lot more interesting than studying."
Harry put his hand to his chest in mock-shock. "A Ravenclaw who would rather explore than study? What is the world coming to?"
Roan and Rowena both laughed. They took their leave of the three men and headed off, talking about a book they had both read recently.
Salazar also took his leave, sensing that he would need to find someone else to talk with, preferably someone that wasn't about to get into a major argument. At least that was the vibe he was getting from the youngest of the three.
"Why don't we go to the Chamber," Harry suggested.
The older men shrugged and followed after him. They traded glances as they realized he was going to walk all that way in silence, and was carefully staying in front of them. They entered the Chamber and walked through to the apartments. As they'd expected, he hadn't said a word other than to open the door and tell Cattie that they didn't need anything.
"Sit down," he ordered, almost wearily.
They did as he asked.
He turned to look at them, still standing in the middle of the room. "I'd been hoping to avoid this conversation and had put it off for days, but I... have... had... ENOUGH!" He shouted the last word, but immediately got himself back under control.
He started pacing back and forth, but a moment later stopped abruptly in front of his father. "I thought we'd already dealt with this, but obviously not, or you two need a reminder. Number one, I am *not* a child!" He motioned to Severus. "I might be *your* child, and I always will be, but I am not *a* child that needs to be taken care of and have things hidden from me for my own good. I do not appreciate being treated like that. Number two, I know I am pregnant. I am very well aware of that fact. I, after all, am the one that still has morning sickness, tiredness, aching feet, mood swings and tend to cry at the drop of a pointed hat! I am not, however, fragile. And I no more appreciate being treated as if I were, than I like being treated like a child."
He ran his hand through his hair as he started pacing again, and finally he dropped into a chair. He raised his head and looked at them again for a long moment. "Dad, let's start with you. Which doesn't mean you get off free, Lucius, so I would get that smirk off your face right now." He hadn't even turned to look at his husband. He should have, he probably would have found the surprised expression on the blonde's face to be quite ludicrous. It did wipe the smirk off, though.
"Dad, you can't wrap me up in cotton wool and put me on the shelf. I'm not some delicate potion ingredient that the least little shake will cause to disintegrate. The problem with being wrapped in cotton wool, is that you can't breathe in there. I'm starting to suffocate. It's like being in a prison." He watched his father pale and immediately shook his head. "It is *nothing* like being at the Dursley's. I know you're doing it because you care. I don't know *why* you feel like you do, but I don't doubt for a moment that you care. I just can't deal with it anymore. Do you know, today was the first time in two weeks I've been able to go out and get some fresh air? The only time I've been allowed out of the castle was when I had Care of Magical Creatures, and I could just see you thinking about telling me to drop that course." Severus looked guilty. Harry nodded. "I knew it." He sighed and leaned back. "You've also been a bear for these past two weeks."
"That's his fault," Severus said immediately, pointing at Lucius. "He used a new hex on me, and today was the first time I had the chance to research it and get rid of it. It was painful, too!"
"I didn't know you were still under it," Lucius objected. "You can't blame that on me. I would have taken it off if I knew."
"And they think *I'm* the child," Harry muttered under his breath with a hidden grin. He spoke up. "I've got to agree with Lucius on this one. Even if you didn't want to tell him that you didn't know what it was, you could certainly have told me. I would have either researched it, or gotten the counter out of Lucius, and you wouldn't have had to live with it for the past two weeks."
He turned to his husband. "As to you, Lucius... do you think I'm stupid?"
Lucius looked at him in surprise. "Of course not!"
"Then why are you hiding things from me? Do you think I don't know how much flak you've been getting since our being a couple was announced? Do you think I don't realize that if an election was held right now, you'd lose by a large margin because of your marriage to me?" He shook his head as he glared at the older man. "I don't need to be protected from the reality of being your mate! I knew what I was getting into. Heck, I'm the one that got you the job in the first place! Have you forgotten that? I know just how fickle the wizarding world is; I've lived with that for years. This is something we should have been working on together, because it's not just about you!"
There was silence for several minutes. "Well?" he finally growled, looking at them both. "Isn't there anything you would like to say?" He rolled his eyes before either one of them opened their mouths. "I'm not looking for an apology here, I want an explanation. And while you're at it, I also need an explanation for why it seems like you two have been using me against each other. That is one thing that I'm definitely not going to accept. If you're going to fight with each other, you are going to leave me out of it. I am not going to take sides with either of you, and neither one of you is going to turn me against the other."
Both men reared back at that. "I wasn't!" "We weren't doing that!" Their responses tripped over each other.
"That's what it looked like from where I was standing," Harry stated.
"Harry," Severus said seriously. "I admit I interrupted you two quite a bit, but I wasn't doing it on purpose. I didn't realize until this afternoon that I had been doing it at all." He sighed and spoke as seriously as he could. "I was scared," he admitted. "You had been taken from me, right from the middle of Hogwarts, when I was less than a hundred meters away from you, and there wasn't a single thing I could do about it. You and your child had been placed into danger, and I couldn't protect you, and thanks to him," he nodded towards Lucius, "I couldn't even go after you. Now, Dumbledore is out there somewhere, and he thinks your child is some great evil, and there's no real way of knowing whether he can enter Hogwarts or not. I just start to worry if I don't know where you are. I feel like I need to keep you where I can see you, just so I know you're okay."
"I understand that," Harry admitted. "But you're taking overprotectiveness way too far. You can't keep me locked up. You've got to trust that I can take care of myself, at least for a while."
Severus nodded his understanding. He might not agree, but at least he understood what Harry was saying.
Lucius leaned forward. "I am not going to apologize for going to Harry. I know he's your son, but he's my husband and carrying my child, and I had both the right and responsibility to make sure he was alright."
"But so did I!" Severus argued.
"Yes," Lucius agreed. "You did. But I needed someone here who I could trust to handle things. There was also no telling how much of a political mess I was heading into. Though I admit, I wasn't thinking of that so much as I was of Harry."
"You could have left someone else here, and we both could have gone," Severus contended.
"Who?" Lucius asked immediately. "Whom could I have trusted, that had the power to deal with Dumbledore? I trust Weasley, but not with something this important, nor did he have the power to take on Dumbledore if it became necessary. I also doubt he thought of the old man as we did. You must admit, there were few people who really *knew* what that old mage had done. They might have heard of it, but I can bet you, most of them would have a very hard time believing it. Besides, a mage needed to stay, just in case. Who did you think it should be? My son?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Severus said immediately.
"Then who? Tell me, whom else could I have trusted? Who else could have managed?"
"Well, I didn't manage too well, now did I?" Severus snarled back. "He got away!"
"Regardless of what I might have said in the heat of the moment, there was nothing you could do about that," Lucius admitted. "You did the best you could, I know that. There was no possible way to know that Dumbledore had compulsions on others. We're still not sure all the compulsions are off of me, or you, or Harry. I was a student here too, so I might have those, as well as whatever he put on us when we were unconscious. There's no way of knowing how things might have turned out if I made a different choice, but I'm never going to believe I didn't make the right one. At the time, the most important thing, the most urgent need, was Harry. Period."
"But he was the most important thing to me, as well," Severus reminded him.
Harry smiled rapturously. It was very rare that he got to hear those types of sentiments from either one of them, and they seemed to have forgotten he was in the room. He quietly wiped off a tear that had been drifting down his cheek and sniffed loudly. The two men turned to look at them. He just smiled back brightly, even though he was unable to stop more tears. "Stupid hormones," he murmured, but didn't really seem to mean it.
"I'm glad you two are getting on together," Harry said happily.
"I'm sorry you got put in the middle of our fight," Severus said simply.
"I, as well," Lucius agreed.
"It's okay," Harry said. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again... Please!" They both nodded their agreement.
"Now, Lucius," Harry became serious again. "Would you care to tell me why you've been hiding what's been going on?"
"How did you find out about that?" he asked, frowning.
"I have my sources," Harry said mysteriously. "And I'm not going to tell you about them, because I have no intention of having them dry up on me. Now explain."
"I didn't tell you because there was nothing you could do," Lucius said simply.
"Just like there was no way I could get you elected, or Fudge deposed?" Harry answered back immediately. "I thought we'd proved, a long time ago, that there were far more things I could do than most people would expect." He stood up. "I'm going to get together with the gang and we'll deal with this. Don't worry about it. Now, I'm hungry and I believe it's time for dinner, which I will be eating in the Great Hall. I found out today just how much I've been isolated for the past couple of weeks, and that's going to stop. You two are welcome to join me at the middle table." He swept out.
"Middle table? What middle table?" Lucius asked, confused.
"I have no idea," Severus admitted.
They hurried out after him.
"Oh," Harry said as they caught up. "I'm also going to be exploring the rest of Godric's rooms. You're welcome if you want to join me. I'm pretty sure that one of the carvings leads to Godric's Keep. Maybe we'll be able to bring his spirit portrait back to Hogwarts." He continued on, talking about his plans, while the two older men just tried to keep up. When Harry said he was tired of just letting things go, he'd obviously meant more than just the dressing down they'd just gotten. They both smiled to themselves. It was good to see him excited and brimming with plans.
Chapter 38/?
Harry strode into the Grand Hall a couple of minutes before dinner would begin. There were only a few people sitting on the benches waiting. They all watched as Harry spoke a single word and a light shone on the floor between the middle two tables.
Harry walked over to the light and dropped to his knees. He murmured quietly to the floor, so quietly no one nearby could hear him. It was obvious Hogwarts did, however. Everyone shouted with surprise as the Great Hall suddenly grew wider.
Harry stood up and dusted off his hands, looking around approvingly. He looked back at Lucius and Severus standing behind him. "Well, are you going to help me, or not?"
"It would help if you would tell us what you're doing," Lucius murmured.
Harry just grinned. "Just give me some power," he ordered. "This is going to take a bit."
The two older men looked at each other, considering.
"You either trust me, or you don't," Harry said unfairly.
Severus cuffed his son gently on the back of his head, but his voice was hard. "Emotional blackmail is *not* an acceptable means of interpersonal communication." he made sure Harry was looking at him and knew he meant what he said, "In other words, do *not* try that again."
Harry dropped his eyes and blushed. "Yes, sir," he said quietly. He explained quickly. "I'd like to move all the tables back to leave room in the middle for an Inter-House table. And not just for my group of friends. I really think it's something the school could use."
Severus considered his words. "We will try it and see how it works. I agree; it will not simply be for your group. That would completely defeat the purpose of what you *say* you are trying to do."
"I understand," Harry agreed. "However, is it okay if, just for today, it stays just for us? I really need to talk to the group. I suppose I could wait until after dinner to talk to them, but I'd really like to do it now."
"I will allow you to set up a part of it for that purpose. You may even put up a privacy or silence barrier if you believe it to be necessary. But do not abuse the privilege."
"Yes, sir," Harry answered. He looked up at his husband. "You don't have anything to say about this?"
"What happens in the school is really none of my business," Lucius shrugged. "Not for something such as this, in any case."
Harry returned to his project, considering what he would need to do. Severus and Lucius placed their hands on Harry's shoulders. Both of them were carefully monitoring everything the black-haired boy did as he carefully picked up the tables and benches with students, and moved them away from the center of the room and set them back down just as gently. Once the center of the floor was clear, he knelt once more.
"Could you move over there?" Harry asked, motioning to the right side of the Hall. They removed their hands as Harry knelt and once more started talking to Hogwarts. Moments later, the castle answered. In the empty space appeared two long tables, looking exactly the same as the four House tables. Harry was kneeling exactly between the two of them.
He stood up and once more brushed off his hands. He looked around at the students, the number of which had increased dramatically since he started, though most were standing by the walls, watching with wide eyes.
"The middle table is open for anyone. If you want to eat with your friends from other Houses, that is the place to do it. If you just want to get to know others over a meal, whom you think you could become friends with but haven't had the opportunity, that is the place. It's also a good place for visitors to the school to sit. I do ask that for today, my group gathers at the front of the table. I hope you all don't mind if we put up a privacy screen. We need to talk about things outside of school." Harry announced.
There was a murmur of agreement among the confusion. Ron, Hermione, Neville, Draco, Blaise, Thyme, Ehlana and Roan all gathered together at the front of the table. Originally it was only Ron, 'Mione, Draco and Blaise, but Harry asked them to go get the others.
Harry took the time to notice they weren't the only ones at the middle table. However, the only others were siblings that were sorted into different Houses. Oh, well, it was only the first day. It was good to see the Patil twins and the Carrington twins being able to sit down and eat together.
Lucius and Severus had decided against sitting with the students. Instead, they sat down at the Head table.
"Severus, would you care to explain what that is about?" Headmistress McGonagall asked irately.
"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure," Severus answered as he watched the chattering group with narrowed eyes. "I'm not positive why Harry felt the need for that instead of meeting later. The group tends to meet fairly often in any case, so why he felt it necessary for them to eat together, I don't know. How he knew the way in which to talk to Hogwarts, in order to call another table into being, I also don't know."
"So, why did you allow it?" she asked.
"Because, while it might simply be a type of nesting behavior, it could also be his intuition showing through. He felt it was necessary, and felt it strongly enough to do it. I felt it was prudent to allow him to do so."
"The Board of Governors might complain," she reminded him.
"They will not," Lucius said firmly. It was hard to doubt him when he spoke that determinedly.
Meanwhile, at the new table, Roan was holding forth, explaining what had been found in the Gryffindor rooms.
A discussion was about to ensue on what Dumbledore was doing, when Harry stopped it cold. "We'll get back to that," he said strongly. Everyone looked at him. "Right now, we need to deal with keeping Lucius in office. We got him elected; we need to keep him there. He's doing too much good to be kicked out now, but he's getting a lot of Howlers about our relationship. What can we do about that?"
"When did we become Malfoy's public relations firm?" Ron grumbled.
"We're not," Hermione answered comfortingly. "We're Harry's. It's just that right now it's the same thing. I'm assuming people are... what? Blaming him for corrupting you?"
"Corrupting me, taking advantage of me, harming me, influencing me, you name it," Harry answered.
"What about that girl he was with at the ball?" Roan asked.
Harry shook his head with a smile. "That was me," he said easily. He smiled dopily in remembrance. "That was a wonderful night."
"That's what we have to get out there," Thyme said gently. "How happy he makes you. We've got to make the world see how much you love him. It's hard to hate someone who's genuinely in love and so happy. Not to mention when there's a baby on the way. You're going to have to show he's a family man, and you are most definitely a part of that family."
Everyone was ignoring Roan and Neville's astonished expressions.
"I'm sorry Harry," Ron said softly. "But you really need to be seen out in his presence. They're going to have to see you together to get used to you."
Harry blanched, but reluctantly nodded.
"What's the problem with that?" Ehlana asked, confused.
"I don't like going out in public. I had a *really* bad experience, and right now I just prefer staying away from people I don't know." Harry explained.
"Explain that," Neville said thoughtfully, having gotten over his shock, but still having a lot of questions. "Maybe to those reporters Lucius brought here that time."
Blaise nodded. "I agree. Tell them what you told us. That because things were so bad, you had been thinking of returning to the Muggle world full-time after you graduated."
"Then, add that the main reason you will be staying in the wizarding world is because of my dad," Draco expanded on his Housemate's suggestion.
"You might want to add that you and Mr. Malfoy didn't do anything until you were of age," Hermione suggested. "That might help some people get over it."
"I don't see why that's any of their business," Harry glared.
"Yes, well, since when do people keep to their own business?" Draco asked sarcastically.
Harry put his chin on his hands. "At least I won't have to go out in public very often. If we go out when school's in session there will be talk about how he's taking me away from my studies."
"True," Draco admitted.
"So, do you think I should sugarcoat it, or be brutal?" Harry wondered.
"Go for brutal," Ron told him. "You've got to make them understand what they've been doing to you. Get it out there, and make sure they understand. It's the only way you're going to get them to leave you alone."
Harry was a bit surprised to be getting that advice from Ron, but agreed completely.
They continued to talk about it as they dragged out their dinner. By the time it was over, they had a plan.
Part 39/?
The two reporters walked into the meeting room at Hogwarts, unsure of what they were walking into. They were very surprised to find Harry Potter... *the* Harry Potter, waiting there for them.
"Harry Potter!" one of them blurted out.
"Snape!" Harry groaned. "Why is that so hard for people to remember?"
The other smiled consolingly. "It will take a bit of time. You've been Potter for so long, it will take a bit for people to remember all of the time."
"And, quite honestly," the other murmured, "many find it hard to believe you willingly allowed yourself to be adopted by Severus Snape."
"They can take a hike," Harry remarked in a hard voice. "I chose this, and I am happy with it. Quite honestly, I don't care even slightly what they think." He looked sternly at them. "Except, where it has to do with my husband. If it weren't for the problems he's been having, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."
"So, he made you," one inferred.
"Mr. Marnier," Harry stalked toward him. The aura of menace he was exuding became a hundred times worse as Flick rose on his shoulder and hissed. "I would suggest, very strongly, that you keep your assumptions to yourself. Especially such baseless ones against my husband."
Marnier paled as he sank back into the wall behind him. Maybe the boy was a Snape, after all. He certainly could be just as scary.
Harry turned towards the other. "Well, Mr. Thistlewaite, did you have something to add?"
"No, Mr. Snape. Not right now," Thistlewaite said with aplomb.
Harry checked to make sure that Marnier was still cowed, before settling back down, petting Flick until she calmed down. "Actually," he said thoughtfully. "Lucius tried to keep what was happening hidden from me. We've had words about that. It won't be happening again."
Both reporters blinked. They couldn't believe someone could be so blasé about having *words* with Minister of Magic and ex-Death Eater, Lucius Malfoy.
"Take a seat," he offered graciously.
Both of them settled down tentatively.
"Mr. Snape," Thistlewaite began. "Are there any questions you would prefer us to stay away from?"
Harry thought for a moment. "You can ask whatever you wish, but I reserve the right not to answer if a question is too personal. And, if that happens too often, the interview will immediately be concluded."
Both reporters nodded their understanding.
"How did Minister Malfoy and yourself become a couple?" Thistlewaite asked, hoping that wouldn't be considered too personal.
"I spent a while this summer at Malfoy Manor, as Draco's guest," Harry said with a fond smile. "We got to know each other then. We both found ourselves interested in each other, and it slowly grew into more."
"How old were you?" Marnier asked bravely.
Harry glared at him, trying to decide if he meant anything by that question, but finally answered. "We kissed for the first time on my sixteenth birthday, but didn't go any farther for quite a while." His tone was a clear warning that that was all they were going to get on the subject, and prying would not be a good idea.
Marnier tried a different subject. "Mr. Malfoy suggested that you had been abused by the Muggles that raised you. Is that true?"
Harry simply nodded.
"It must have been a great relief to enter the wizarding world," he said searchingly.
Harry snorted. "Yeah, right."
Thistlewaite frowned. "You didn't find it better here?"
"Physically," Harry admitted. "Except for the times Voldemort or someone else tried to kill me. But otherwise, no."
"I don't understand," he acknowledged.
"Do you know what it's like to go from being absolutely nothing, knowing you're worthless, having been told a million times that you should never have been born, until you agreed with that yourself, to suddenly find yourself a celebrity, worshiped by many and wanted dead by a few, for doing something you didn't even do on purpose?" He sighed deeply. "I thought that going to Hogwarts would be my new start. That maybe things would be better in a new school where no one knew or was afraid of my cousin, so that I'd have a chance to have friends and a *normal* life. Instead, I came to a place where everyone was convinced they knew everything about me. And expected everything. They thought I should be the top student, regardless of the fact that I knew nothing about magic. I would be good and kind and brave and all-around wonderful. And when I wasn't, then I must be evil. There was no in-between. I couldn't be just a regular kid. I wasn't allowed off the pedestal they placed me on. They all did it. Everyone except Severus. Yeah, I didn't like the way he ragged on me, but it was loads better than being revered. Trust me on that. There were only three good things about Hogwarts. Ron, Hermione, and magic. I did love magic. I expected it to be the only thing I really missed once I left the wizarding world."
"What do you mean, 'once you left'?" Marnier blurted.
"I had no intention of staying around after I graduated," Harry answered honestly. "Once I was through with Hogwarts, I was getting as far away from the wizarding world as I could. I had every intention of disappearing. Especially after the problems I had out in public at the end of last year." He looked straight at them. "I do not want people getting hurt because of me. I won't accept that."
He got up and started to pace. "I am not some sort of ... god! I'm nothing special at all! And yet everyone expects such great things of me. Do you know, there are people who expect me to be able to heal just by touching them? I get letters from people having problems with vampires or ghouls, and expecting me to do something about it, because I'm Harry Potter! I'm sixteen years old! I'm still in school! I'm not some miracle worker who knows everything and can do no wrong!"
"And then there are the people who seem to think they're perfect for me. I've had wedding proposals from hundreds of people I've never even met, most of whom are years older than me..." he stopped and suddenly grinned. "Now that's a stupid thing to say, isn't it? Still, it's different with Lucius. Anyway, most of these are female. I've had people that want to have my baby... some without even asking first, or who refuse to take 'no' for an answer. I actually had to find a spell, to put on myself, so that none of my hair, skin or anything else could be used in a spell without my permission. I had people trying to steal hairs and such for all sorts of reasons. Love spells, conception spells, Polyjuice, and of course, the curses."
"Because, yes, I get those too. And it's not even all from Death Eaters or ex-Death Eaters or wanna-be Death Eaters. I've had people actually try to tell me that now that Voldemort is dead, I need to die so I won't become like him. Can you believe that?" He threw his hands up in the air. "I've had a couple try to kill me, so they can prove they're stronger than me. They just see it as a competition! I've even had people say that I should be sent to Azkaban because I killed Voldemort! It's a good thing I didn't use an Unforgivable on him, because I have little doubt Fudge would have done just that, if I had."
He dropped back down in the chair and sighed. "But I'm not Harry Potter anymore, and for once, I have a chance to be the person *I* want to be. And that includes being the son of a man who loves me, and is the father I always dreamed of having. It includes being married to a man who loves me, and with whom I am deeply in love. It definitely includes having a child, even carrying it, the final proof of the love and creation of the family I always wanted. A family that loves me for me. Not because of something I did when I was only one year old. Not even because of something I did last year. But because they know who I am, and they approve. They like me just the way I am, and don't want me to be something I'm not. And for the first time in my entire life, I am completely happy. Nothing and no one can take that away from me. I refuse to let them."
"Dumbledore can plot and plan as much as he wants. He will never win. Not because I'm stronger than him, but because, for the first time in my life, I have something intimately personal, worth living for... and worth fighting to keep. I fought Voldemort because it was expected of me, and because he tried to kill me. Even, a bit, as revenge for killing my parents, taking away the happy family I could have had. If Dumbledore tries the same, he will find I'm a thousand times more dangerous now than I ever was before. Because now it's worth it; now, it's personal. At whatever price, what I've found is worth it. And I'm not going to give it up."
"You can tell your readers this. I love my husband, and I support him in whatever he chooses to do. I know, far more than they, exactly what he's fighting every day. Perhaps, one day, we'll have a wizarding world that doesn't depend on an eleven-year-old boy to save it. A society where the people know how to cooperate to fight together, instead of putting it all on the shoulders of a single person. Lucius will do what it takes to raise our world from the depths it has sunk. I will be beside him, all the way. But understand this... the only ones I really care about, are the family I have, and the friends I have made. Nobody else had better get in my way. I will protect those who are dear to me with *all* of my power. And you haven't seen anything yet." He turned around and walked out, leaving two flabbergasted men in his wake.