Child of the Moon
15th of March, 2002.
Moonlight shone down on the golden streets of Eldorado. A bright white bird flew over the rooftops. A hooded figure moved out of a house quickly and disappeared in a swirling wind. Warm light steamed out of the house invitingly.
A scream was cut off as the door closed.
Harry sat down next to Tanya and took her hands in his. "Breathe slowly," he said calmly. "You can do this. I'll be right here with you every step of the way."
Tanya nodded slowly. She focused on Harry. His voice and his magic. She shifted. Her back hurt.
"Do you want to stand on your knees?" Harry asked.
"You really should leave," one of the midwives said.
Harry ignored her as he moved, so Tanya could hold onto him. His eyes closed, and he placed a hand on Tanya's lower back. He could help relieve some of the pain.
Tanya screamed again and clung to Harry for dear life.
Miles away, Charlie hurried up the steps to Vatusia's flat. He rang her doorbell and knocked on the door. He pulled his hood down and rubbed his hands together. Tanya had wanted her mother to be there for the birth. They had plans in place to fetch Vatusia and then Tanya's water broke.
"She is still at work," an elderly woman said as she passed Charlie. He took a deep breath and turned around. He had been given her work address. Now he just needed to find the place. He hurried down to an alley and apparated. He made his way over to a big glass building and walked inside. "Vatusia Hope, where can I find her?" he asked the receptionist.
"What is it about?" the receptionist asked.
"It concerns her daughter," Charlie answered. He waited as the receptionist made a call.
Only moments later, Vatusia came rushing down a set of stairs. "Now?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Mrs Hope you have a…"
"Not now Jolene. I'm about to become a grandmother," Vatusia said, cutting the receptionist off. She started heading for the door, and Charlie followed her. He took her hand, cast a cloaking spell, and activated the portkey Harry had handed him. They landed on a dark street at the edge of town. "I can apparate us closer, just give me a moment," Charlie said. He took a deep breath and steadied himself before moving them straight to Shiva's front yard. He pulled the door open.
A pained whimper could be heard from inside the house. Vatusia rushed into the room where her daughter was, while Charlie walked over to the kitchen. Shiva smiled softly at him. "The midwives do not like that Harry-jo is skilled in birthing, no. It is their belief that only women who have given birth should be allowed to aid another," she said.
Charlie shook his head. "Harry knows what he is doing," he said. "He will only walk out of there if Tanya asks him to."
Shiva nodded. "Harry-jo seems calm and collected. This one believes he knows ways that we have never used here," she said. "This one certainly prefers that he stays."
Charlie looked over at the improvised delivery room worriedly. It was taking a long time. He hoped nothing bad was happening. After a while, he got too antsy to sit still, so he started pacing. He could tell that Shiva was nervous too. He considered leaving just so she wouldn't have watched him when a tiny crying voice sounded through the house. He turned towards the door as it opened and Harry walked out to them.
"Shirt off," Harry ordered his husband. "Sit." He placed the baby against Charlie's chest and made sure they were warm enough. "I need to help Tanya, I'll be back in a moment," he said before walking back into the room.
Charlie looked down at the little baby on his chest. She already had feline ears rather than human ones. Her tail curled around her and her eyes were closed.
"Winky," Charlie called softly. They had warned Winky that another child was joining them. She had a lot of experience already, especially with little Edward joining the family in December.
Winky showed up quickly, her ears flopping every which way. She saw the little baby on her Master's chest and smiled. "Little one hungry?" she asked.
"I think so," Charlie said. "She is searching at least."
Winky nodded. Teleporting this far was hard for her, but she could make sure her Masters had what they needed to take care of the little one. She looked forward to them coming home. Little Edward would have a friend, and Leoline wouldn't be alone with his brother any more. She returned to Charlie and handed him a bottle while placing a basket next to him with baby formula. "Masters be coming home soon?" she asked.
"In a month or so," Charlie said. "We need to be able to travel safely with her first."
"Little one has no name?" Winky asked and her ears dropped.
"Natasha Leilani Potter," Harry said as he walked out of Tanya's room. "She is asleep and healing well. Vatusia will stay with her. I need a shower, then I can take Natasha."
"It's fine, I don't mind," Charlie said. "Get some sleep and take her in a couple of hours instead."
Harry nodded. "If you say so, love. I'd give you a kiss, but I'm grimy."
Charlie chuckled. He watched Harry leave before looking back down at Natasha.
"Can Winky tell the other elves?" Winky asked.
"Of course," Charlie said. "Please let Remus know as well. The rest we will deal with when we get home."
Winky nodded wildly. "Will do Master Charlie," she said.
"The strange one is very dedicated, yes," Shiva said.
"She is. She runs the household," Charlie said. "Some would call her a slave, but she certainly doesn't see herself that way. We are her family, and she takes care of us."
"That sounds nice, yes," Shiva said. She looked down at the baby on Charlie's chest. She had hoped that all her grandchildren could grow up with them. Now she hoped that this little girl would have a good life far away. She was not happy with the way things had been handled. At least Tanya had good people supporting her.
The next few days were handled in shifts. Either Charlie or Harry was always holding Natasha. Meanwhile, Tanya recovered slowly.
29th of March, 2002.
The sun was shining gently. Harry sat outside with Natasha in his arms. Blue light filled his vision for a moment. He reached up and focused on the amulet. He smiled as Rhavaniel appeared before his mind's eye. "Ready?" she asked.
Harry nodded slowly. He reached out for her and his magic flared. He took a deep breath as he looked upon the gleaming waters of Lake Illinata. "You are amazing," he told Rhavaniel.
"This can only be done because of the bond we share," Rhavaniel said. They started walking down towards the water. Harry smiled as he saw Daliniin down in the water, with a pale Khajiit right beside him. "Masha?" he asked.
"That is Masha," Rhavaniel said. "Then there is Mirian and Razum, Hestra and then Xeno is the youngest."
Harry shook his head slowly. "They have been busy," he said. A grin spread over his face. "They are cute kittens."
Rhavaniel chuckled. She waved at her son.
"Dad!" Daliniin called out. He made his way to shore and ran up to his father. He looked down at the little baby in Harry's arms. "That's my little sister?" he asked.
"This is Natasha-ma," Harry said calmly. He smiled at Masha as she came closer. "Greetings, young one," he said.
"You're Harry-do?" Masha asked. "The Dragon Prince?"
Harry chuckled. "Some people called me that," he said.
"What's wrong with your eyes?" Razum asked as he reached them.
"I'm blind," Harry said calmly. "I fought a Dark Lord, and he cursed me."
"Did you kill him?" Razum asked.
"I banished his soul to the Soul Cairn," Harry answered.
"Mom is cheating though," Daliinin said. "Because you can see now."
"My physical eyes are damaged. This is my spirit, not my body, so I can see just fine," Harry said. He moved forward and hugged his son.
"Now you are flexing, Harry," Rhavaniel said. She was grinning though. She didn't mind in the least that Harry had finally started figuring certain aspects of magic out. It also didn't surprise her that he could do things she had never been able to. She had fallen in love with him for a reason.
Daliniin wiped tears away as Harry stepped back. "Did you have to?" he asked. "It just makes me wonder what could have been."
Harry smiled softly. "That we might never know," he said.
"I would say Rhavaniel-dra has gotten good at illusions if I didn know her better than that."
Harry turned around slowly. "Rhavaniel and I have been working on this for a long time," he said. "She has visited me, but this is the first time we're doing it this way. It is strange to see our home like this and know I can not actually go there. Not to say I don't have a home now. I have everything I could ever dream of." He sighed. "I just miss you guys."
Rashall chuckled. "We miss ya too," he said. "But ya can't live like that."
"Oh, don't worry about that," Harry said. He smiled. "My husband would tell you I live in the now more than in the past." He raised a hand. "Give me a moment, and I'll get him."
"Are you sure, Harry?" Rhavaniel said.
"Yes," Harry said. "I'll be fine." He disappeared for a moment before returning not only with Charlie but with Keyara as well.
"This is surreal," Charlie said. He looked around. "Lake Illinata right?" he said. He looked at the Khajiit children. Then he walked up to Daliniin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are you doing, son?" he asked.
Keyara squealed and threw herself at Daliniin. "Big brother," she said.
Daliniin's eyes teared up again as he hugged his sister. Charlie moved closer and hugged him too. "You are a good kid," he said. "You know you're the same age Harry was when he came to Skyrim?" he asked.
Daliinin looked over at his father. "Really?" he asked.
Harry nodded. "That's right," he said. "I was fourteen when I arrived in Skyrim."
"Little squirm he was," Rashall said.
"And you wanted to dump me off in a city somewhere," Harry said. "Didn't turn out that way thank heavens."
Rashall shrugged. "Yar made of sterner stuff than I thought," he said. He walked up to his children and picked little Xeno up. He looked at the child in Harry's arms. "Looks like ya have yar own Khajiit somewhere," he said.
"My apprentice, Tanya," Harry said. "Rhavaniel can fill you in later. We don't have time for the full explanation. I'm running off my gems right now, so I'm fine, but we only have so much time."
"Gotcha," Rashall said. "Naya will wanna talk to ya. We should head up."
Harry smiled. "Sure," he said. He reached for Daliniin, and they headed up towards the house together.
"So yar Harry's husband," Rashall said as he fell in next to Charlie.
"I am," Charlie said.
"What do ya do then? Before ya met Harry, at least. Now I can imagine yar travelin the globe goin on adventures," Rashall said.
Charlie chuckled. "I was a dragon handler," he said. "Still work with dragons, but we have our own now."
"Sounds like Harry," Rashall said. "Always said there were more to those beasts than most thought."
"I'd be inclined to agree," Charlie said.
"Made you one of his Knights, did he," Rashall said. "Rhavaniel's been closer to knowing things. Has made life easier for Katla. The dragons left here a bit ago. Most of them seemed quite happy to leave. We think they live on a landmass to the west these days. Maybe that's where the Jills lived."
Charlie nodded slowly. "It would have been interesting to see," he said.
"Yeah, probably not happening for any of us," Rashall said. He pointed ahead. "There you have Harry's Master in magic. Me lovely mate, Naya."
Harry had already reached Naya. He hugged her tightly. They headed inside as they spoke. The children followed their mother, while Rashall made sure they didn't run off somewhere.
An hour passed before Harry and Charlie had to leave. Harry had used all of his gems and was tiring himself out to keep them in Skyrim.
Naya sighed once Rhavaniel had explained the Khajiit situation on Earth. "This one thinks life would have been easier for them if Naya-ko and the rest of us had gone with Harry-do," she said.
"Certainly possible," Rashall said. "Though I can see why they live separately."
Rhavaniel shrugged. "Not that we can do anything," she said. "Harry is doing his best. Maybe he can make a difference in time. At least he can help some of them."
Naya nodded slowly. "This one is glad to have met Harry-ma again. Charlie-jo seems like a nice one, yes," she said.
"Charlie is amazing for Harry," Rhavaniel said. "He isn't afraid of expressing himself either, so we have worked through a lot of the feelings we have about each other regarding Harry."
Naya smiled. "Rhavaniel-dra has been more affected than she wishes to show," she said.
"You don't say," Daliniin said. "She almost took Labyrinthian out when Dad was cursed." He shook his head. "So she misses him more than she is willing to let anyone know."
Rhavaniel rolled her eyes. "I also speak to him a lot," she said. "Him and Charlie both. I seldom speak to just Harry without Charlie knowing. It is just one of the agreements we have."
"He scared you two would be cheating?" Rashall asked.
"He was worried about that," Rhavaniel said. "Not a concern these days. They are bonded. As I understand it, that bond runs very deep. We still don't quite know how Harry's feelings towards me affect it, but it is interesting to see."
Rashall shook his head. "Does he know ya're usin him as an experiment?" he asked.
"They both know my thoughts on the matter," Rhavaniel said.
Daliniin shook his head. He knew his mother talked to his father a lot. Now knowing that Harry had figured out how to physically touch he wasn't sure he wanted to know what his parents got up to. He did however look forward to speaking to his father again. He got up and headed outside so he wouldn't have to listen to Rashall.
"He seems really nice," Masha said as she walked out and sat down next to Daliniin. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I knew Rhavaniel was good, but I never expected her to be able to reach out to another planet in another solar system. It all seemed so far-fetched."
"I know," Daliniin said. "I'm not angry with you."
"Will you be stayin with your mother?" Masha asked.
"No, I am going to Whiterun after this. They want to start teaching me to take over the Skyforge," Daliniin said.
"That's incredible," Masha said. She sighed. "I wish you'd be comin with me to Labyrinthian, but the Skyforge that is kind of insane. Though I guess it makes sense since you are Katla's apprentice."
"Eorlund has wanted someone to take over for him for a long time. He is ready to retire, so he needs a good apprentice. He is alright with sharing with Katla since she knows so many different methods," Daliniin said. "She has been training me by the Skyforge a lot."
Masha nodded slowly. She laid back and sighed. "Do you think we can ever go on an adventure like our parents?" she asked.
Daliinin chuckled. "I guess that might happen. Though I would prefer to not deal with something world-ending," he said.
Masha rolled over and swayed her legs back and forth. "I guess you are right," she said. "I would still like to do somethin amazin like that."
Daliinin rolled his eyes. He wasn't as interested in an adventure as Masha was. Then again, with his father almost going insane and everything they were doing across planets, his life was interesting enough as it was.
5th of April, 2002.
Tanya leaned against the door frame. She was watching Harry sit with Keyara and Natasha in the garden. He looked so natural with them. She had already known he was a good father. She sighed. She wasn't sure how to feel. Was she supposed to be excited? She had carried a baby and given birth, but she felt nothing when she looked at her daughter. Wasn't she supposed to feel love? Why wasn't she? A warm hand landed on her shoulder.
"How are you feeling?" Charlie asked.
Tanya shook her head. "I don't know," she said softly. "I haven't touched her. Harry has brought her to me, but I… I just can't."
Charlie smiled sadly. "I would say you'll approach her when you are ready, but we aren't staying that much longer. Will you be coming by to see her once we have left?"
Tanya shook her head. "Not for a while," she said.
"You can do whatever you want. Tanya. We will not judge you," Charlie said.
Tanya looked up at him. "Everyone else will," she said.
"That may be true, but if they do, they are narrow-minded and wrong," Charlie said.
Tanya smiled tiredly at him. "Thank you, Charlie," she said. She headed back to her room slowly, dragging her feet. She fell into her bed and sighed deeply. Everything felt so pointless. She wasn't sure what to do with herself. All she knew was that she wasn't safe around her daughter.
19th of April, 2002.
Two weeks passed of Tanya doing her best to not only avoid Natasha, but Harry as well. Despite their agreement, she felt like she was failing him. She should be able to at least hold her own daughter. She couldn't though and the more she thought about it the worse her self-control got. Twice, Charlie had walked into her room to put fires out. Right now, it would have been better if she had never met Harry. Maybe things would have been simpler.
It was finally time to say goodbye. Harry and Charlie were heading home with their daughters. Natasha's eyes had finally opened for the first time. They were vibrant green, just like Harry's had once been.
Tanya stood by the window in her room watching them. She couldn't face Harry. Not yet. Maybe she never could again. She hoped not, but her life looked pretty bleak at the moment.
Shiva smiled and waved as the young humans headed off with their Khajiit charges. Hera-ma and J'eteri flanked the bonded couple. She was glad they now had human allies. It boded well for the future.
…
Winky smiled as her family walked into Ennerdale. It was nice to have them home again. She hoped it would be for a while, and she wasn't the only one. Mere moments after Harry and Charlie walked through the door, Leoline appeared.
Keyara looked pleadingly at her fathers. "Can I go with Leo?" she asked.
"Go ahead," Charlie said while withholding a chuckle. He watched Harry walk up to the guest rooms with Hera and J'eteri. He had a feeling the Khajiit would prefer the guest rooms, even though Harry had kept his apprentices in the family rooms in the past. He needed to check on some things with the dwemer while Harry was a good host. He apparated out and hurried into the bank. He walked past the tellers and headed down to the city below. He dropped off a few things and spoke to several dwemer before heading back out. He moved quickly as he headed down the street.
A spell sailed through the crowd.
Charlie raised a shield as he was pushed forward. A rain of sparks fell to the ground as the spell impacted the shield. A person in heavy red robes was moving away quickly through the crowd. Charlie tried to follow them, but to no avail. He apparated back home. He would have to tell Harry, but he didn't want to mess with the happy faces that met him once he walked into the living room. Remus and Dora were sitting with Harry and Hera. Remus had little Edward in his arms. The voices of Keyara and Leoline reached them from her bedroom upstairs.
Charlie smiled as he sat down next to Harry. He looked down at Natasha before kissing Harry. He listened to their conversation but didn't feel like joining in. He was just glad to be home.
Hours later, Harry and Charlie headed to their bedroom after making sure Keyara and Natasha were safely in bed. Charlie threw his robes off and sighed heavily. He was seriously considering taking a shower to wash everything off. He wasn't sure he ever wanted to go back to Rimsha. He would happily help Khajiit if they wanted their help, but he didn't feel like going back there. He wondered if that was their intention.
"Charlie," Harry said as he knelt down and picked up a crumpled piece of paper off the floor. He straightened it out and held it out to Charlie.
"You don't deserve what you have, OotA," Charlie said.
"Second time we get something from them," Harry said.
"Someone attacked me in the middle of Diagon Alley," Charlie said. "I'm guessing they gave me this at the time."
Harry shook his head. "We should bring this to Dumac tomorrow," he said. "Maybe he has found something out."
Charlie nodded as he moved closer to Harry he hugged his husband and breathed in deeply. He wanted to stay home with his family. He didn't mind travelling, but they had a small child now and she needed a safe space to grow up in. He knew they would need to talk about it, but not now. Not tonight.