Author: enchanted nightingale

Beta Reader: pussycatadamah

Timeline: Book 4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Pairs: Harry/Lucius

Disclaimer: The characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I merely use them in my plot for fun.

Chapter 25 – Summer Time

The beach house was unlike anything Harry had stayed in before. It was an old Black summer house with its very own private beach. The green eyed teen buried his toes in the sand, loving the feel of it. He had never been to a beach before, certainly never with the Dursley's. Harry did not let his face darken at the thought of his relatives though. All that was in the past now. In the present a seat was taken at his side and he was passed a cool Butterbeer.

"Here you go," Sirius told his godson.

"Thanks Siri," Harry replied and took the bottle.

The two wizards sat side by side, enjoying the sunset.

"Remus?" Harry asked his godfather.

"Still recovering. Sorry we kept you up all night," the dog Animagus told the younger wizard. "Don't worry about Moony, that old wolf will be right as rain in no time."

"If you say so," the green eyed teen agreed.

"So, how do you like the Caribbean?"

This time Harry grinned, his whole face brightening at the reminder that Sirius was officially his guardian now. They were family now, truly family and Harry could not be happier. Remus had come with them and for the first part of the summer Harry had done nothing but swim, sunbathe, have fun with his godfather and honorary uncle and answer Lucius and Bill's letters. The Curse breaker was back in Egypt and Fleur had followed him, opting to work at Gringotts there. They were making plans to come back to Britain but nothing was certain. Harry was happy they were doing great. Lucius was certainly not having his best summer. The only dark cloud over them was the return of the Dark Lord. Without Harry to sacrifice his blood, the Dark Lord had had to use the blood of a squib from the nearest town. It was something Lucius had discovered and had Snape write him. Things were difficult in Malfoy Manor. While Voldemort had taken residence in one of the Lestrange's properties. According to Harry's match, Voldemort was trying to run a campaign to smear Harry's reputation with the magical world but he was failing since the news of his return was out due to Barty Crouch. There was talk of a prophecy but Lucius did not have enough evidence yet.

"You love it this much?" the dog Animagus asked, seeing the smile on his godson's face. "I agree with you. So quiet here. I dread returning to London you know. Here we have our peace and quiet. Pity you need to return to Hogwarts."

Harry rolled his eyes. "A couple of years left."

"Three."

"Two, three, doesn't matter when you're having fun."

Sirius grinned. "Hogwarts is great, isn't it? And speaking of Hogwarts. I saw that owl of yours. Still writing to Arthur's eldest son?"

"Bill? Yes, we're friends."

"Only?"

"Siri..." Harry sighed.

"I know, you said there's someone else but... Who? Not Ron, I haven't seen many letters from him."

Harry thought that was a tactful way to say the redhead had not written more than two lines to Harry and that's because Hermione wrote a letter to the green eyed wizard. Ginny had written to scold him about dating Bill, something that had Harry barely stopping himself from sending a Howler to her. Then there was Neville, who had become Harry's pen pal over the summer. And considering that the Longbottom heir knew so much about Harry's life... Neville was becoming Harry's best friend, right after Bill. The changes the last year had brought to Harry's life were mind boggling. And the thought that everything had started from a single kiss...

"I wish I knew," Sirius told Harry. "I want to be part of your life. Not just be there, act the part of a goofball and be nothing short of ornamental. I care Harry."

"I know you care, Padfoot." The green eyed teen was already making plans to include his godfather in the circle of people who knew about him and Lucius. The blond wizard was certainly hesitant about it but Harry was a bit tired of lying, at least to Remus and Sirius, they were family, they had to know the truth.

"Good," Sirius told the teen.

"But..."

"Yes?"

Harry hesitated. "Would you care if he was not a Gryffindor?"

Sirius sighed and Harry focused on him. "I may be childish and hard headed, don't laugh, I know my faults and those were some of them."

"You are brutally honest today."

"I mean it Harry."

"So do I, now answer me."

"No, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw... I would never care. Why?"

It was Harry's turn to sigh. "The person I'm seeing is male..."

"That much I know Harry."

"What you don't know is that he used to be a Slytherin."

Sirius paused. He took a few gulps from his drink and for a while he just stared straight ahead. When he finally spoke, he was tense.

"Harry, just how much older is he. From your words I can tell he has graduated."

"Well," the green eyed wizard said. "It has been a while since he graduated."

Sirius frowned. "How much is a while?"

"Um... Do wizards get heart attacks?"

"Harry!"

"Fine, fine, keep your temper straight, you will need it."

"Harry..."

"Much older," the teen allowed. "Like, over a decade older."

Absolute silence from Sirius' end.

"Siri?"

"Quiet Harry. I'm trying very hard not to yell. And not to question you, hunt that paedophile down and castrate him, then torture him, and when I calm down kill him. Mum knew how to hide a body; I bet her portrait will have some ideas..."

Harry was left staring at his godfather. "You can't!" he finally said.

"Oh, you bet I can," the older wizard replied. "I have every right to do this."

Harry grimaced. "He's not a paedophile you know, why does everyone call him that?"

"Everyone?"

"Well..."

"Harry... I really think I need something stronger than Butterbeer. Stop trying to deflect the questions. You brought this up, finish telling me. All this secrecy, it makes me even more worried about you!"

"Bill knows. Neville too."

"Do they now? Any responsible adults?"

"Does Snape count?"

"Snape!" Sirius' temper exploded.

Harry ducked his head. What had possessed him to speak with honesty again? It certainly was not an easy thing to do. At least Sirius was not up pacing; the wizard was still seated next to him. That had to be good, right? Sparing a glance at his godfather he then sighed. Perhaps he should not have said anything but now it was too late.

"Sirius, what do you know of Sex Magic?" he asked.

Remus Lupin actually did a double take when he entered the kitchen later that night. Harry was nowhere in sight and Sirius had a book opened on the table, reading. The werewolf could not honestly recall his best friend read anything remotely resembling a book since they finished Hogwarts. There was something alarming about this.

"Sirius?" he called out the man's name.

The dog Animagus waved at a chair and Remus frowned.

"Remus, do sit down, you'll need this, trust me."

Now even more worried, the werewolf complied. Sirius closed the old leather bound tome and finally looked at his childhood friend.

"You look worse than I do and I was the one to go through the full moon," Remus told the last male Black.

"Harry's dead set on giving me grey hairs."

"Okay, what did he do? Study? Fly his broom? What?"

"Remus, I'm not joking. Harry he... He's dating a man over a decade older than him."

"Can you repeat that?" the werewolf demanded.

Sirius pinned him with a stony look. "You heard me."

"I wish I hadn't."

"Me too but..." he sighed. "Harry said it was something bigger than both of them, the attraction. He said that they were matches."

"Like... Mates?" Remus tried to understand.

The dog Animagus shook his head. "According to my godson it was sex magic."

"Come again?"

Sirius lifted up the book. The title could not have been clearer. "This is my homework, yours too. Harry went out, barbequed burgers tonight. That's how long we have to make head or tails of this. I'm trying to be an adult and not do what any sane and insane Black would do."

"Find the bastard and hunt him down?" the werewolf growled.

"Read," Sirius pressed the book into Remus' hands. "Maybe you can then explain it to me. I'm trying to do the mature thing Moony; I'd hate to lose Harry. Our boy Remus, he really cares about that guy."

"Wow, how mature of you!"

"I am trying."

"And if all else fails?" Remus asked.

Sirius grinned, it was a terrifying sight. "My family invented half the banned curses from the eighteenth century till today. No one will ever find the body," he vowed.

Remus, mollified somewhat, took the book and started reading.

By the time dinner was ready, Remus and Sirius both had a better understanding of Sex Magic. Sirius had heard of something similar before but had never cared enough to find out more. The book Harry had given them was informative and very alarming. The green eyed wizard had brought the meal he had prepared.

"Um, ready to eat?" he asked the two.

"We are," Sirius told him. "I have some questions... But it can wait till after dinner."

The teen eyed Remus.

"He told you?"

"I know, yes," the werewolf admitted.

"Good, saves me time."

"Now's not the time," Sirius cut in.

"Stop thinking with your stomach, Padfoot," Remus scolded. "We'll set the table Harry. You can serve. What is it?"

"Burgers, baked potatoes with sour cream and a salad," the youngest wizard replied.

The adults grinned and they all tucked in.

Much after the meal had ended and magic took care of the dishes and the clean up, all three wizards sat out on the porch.

"So, I get it now," Sirius said.

"Mm, do you?" Harry glanced at him. "The attraction... we can fight it, I give you that. But neither of us wants to, not really."

"And he's not pressuring you or anything?" Remus asked the teen.

The green eyed wizard shook his head. "Perfect gentleman," he assured them. "Bill, I think, had a talk with him. Snape too." At Sirius' snort he elaborated. "No, really. Snape is a teacher; he hated seeing a student of his, even me, in a vulnerable position. There was a lot of threatening from his part. And when I meet with my guy, he watches us like a hawk. Bill is a bit more lax, but then again the fact that he's a curse breaker makes most people worry."

"So, who is that perfect guy of yours?" the werewolf asked.

"He's hardly perfect," Harry replied. "But he has done his best to keep me safe. Then he told them about the Triwizard Tournament, Lucius attempts at getting him out of it and when that did not fly, his lessons on survival and then his help at discovering who had placed Harry's name in the cup and his hand at freeing Sirius. By the end of his tale he had also mentioned how Harry, Bill and Neville, along with two Slytherin's had known Voldemort was back and had tried to stop the resurrection. "... He really cares for me," Harry told the two men.

"Harry... Are you telling me you knew?" Remus asked.

"Wait, you are legal and adult?" Sirius asked the teen.

"Yes to both," the green eyed teen replied. "Are you angry?"

"Yes!" Remus said. "You could have been hurt. And why did you not tell Dumbledore?"

"Because he could have prevented this," Harry replied. "And because I don't really trust him. He left me with the Dursley's in the first place; how does that show he cared?"

The werewolf sighed.

"Moony, Harry has a point," Sirius cut in. "And before you relax too much, Harry, I'm angry as well. You practically played the bait."

"We had plans upon plans," the teen protested.

"I don't care! You could have been hurt. Barty was never sane, always unpredictable." Sirius sighed. "I think you just took years off my life."

"Things turned out fine," Harry said defensively.

Sirius shook his head. "That's not the point."

"You should be more careful with your health Harry." Remus added after the dog Animagus finished.

Harry blinked. "You really care?" he asked.

"Of course we do!" Sirius said exasperated.

"Oh, I guess I'll have to get used to it," the teen softly admitted.

Sirius drew him in a hug. "I ought to kill Petunia and her whale of a husband."

Remus clapped Harry's back. They stayed close for a while, making sure Harry got what they meant.

"Just, tell us the next time you cook a plan up, okay Harry?" the last male Black asked, pointing at himself and Lupin.

"So, does this mean I should tell you that the guy I've been seeing has turned into a spy of sorts because he used to be a Death Eater?" Harry asked. "Because there really is no right time to tell you the identity of the mystery boyfriend is in fact Lucius Malfoy."

End of chapter.