Hey everyone,
Well, this is it. My muse managed to get me all the way up to the point of Sirius' trial and Lea's arrival and after that, I drew a blank. I do still have plans as there are things that I had implemented in other versions that didn't quite make the cut here, but to be honest, I'm not entirely sure where to take it from here. Luckily enough, this story so far has left me with a nice amount of plot points to work forward on, so yay!
Let's do this,

Venquine1990


Chapter 12
Settling In

30th of September 1995
Hogwarts Grounds, Scotland
Harry's POV

Exuberance, gratitude, relief, exhilaration, disbelief, contentment, acceptance and several other emotions were racing through me as I jumped my godfather upon realizing that almost the entire Wizengamot had declared him innocent and giving him his freedom back. Even the fact that one single bastard still wanted to declare him guilty just didn't matter to me as it was obvious the moron was fighting a losing battle.
But right after my friends had pulled Sirius and me back on our feet and encased us in a huge group hug to celebrate his freedom had something shocking happened. The sensation of my child calling out to his other parent – as Sirius told me that he might want to determine what our baby would call him himself – suddenly peaked and a second later the father in question appeared. And the fact that he used potentially dark magic didn't even bother me.

I had eyes only for him, for his gorgeous, phoenix-colored red hair, his green eyes that looked so like mine yet shone with incredible power, his healthy skin and tan which made me wonder how much the sun shone where he came from, his strong muscular arms which gave me a sense of warmth and inner strength, the way his cloths fitted him in all the right places, leaving almost nothing to the imagination and yet inviting me to fantasize.
I dimly noticed that he seemed just as enthralled with me as I was with him and was only slightly aware that I was pushing past two bodies as my feet started moving, decreasing the distance between us as my eyes stayed locked in gaze with his, a look in his emerald green eyes that I had never seen before and yet desired and wanted to see more of every day for the rest of my life. We came to stand face to face and he reached out.
And as his hand touched my stomach, the very place where the life he created within me was growing, did I notice a strong sense of loving protectiveness start to radiate off of his face as I whispered the only two words that came to mind: "You're home." At this his eyes went back from my stomach to my own, locking his gaze with mine once more as he whispered back: "I know. Keep it memorized." I wanted to nod, but just hugged him.

And the hug felt perfect, it felt like home, it felt like when Sirius or Mrs. Weasley or Ron or Hermione were to hug me, it felt like all of them hugging me, but better, more whole and more complete. My head reached just below his chin, yet this made me feel even safer, encased in his arms and the form of his body around mine. And out of the pure desire to have this be part of my life, for the rest of my life, do I whisper: "I will, always."
I feel the child within me let off another wave of energy, but this one feels different. It hardly reaches that far out and feels more like it encases the both of us, just like the perfection in human form's arms encase my smaller body. I then actually feel another wave of energy, one I recognize somehow by instinct as his, merge with this one and the sense of these two waves merging back with my body and his feels like the final piece to the puzzle of my life has finally been set in place.
And somehow, I just know that puzzle shows me a road that leads here. To this spot, here in the Stone Courtyard and with the picture of this man's incredible perfection shown on the center of the puzzle's depiction of my life. And while part of me wonders when I became so corny, do I not care, not for this or for whatever else might be shown on the puzzle. All that matters, to me here and now, is what is in the center, the one who is holding me.

"So, I guess Lea was worrying over nothing. That sense he was getting wasn't a trap, after all." Another voice says, startling me and pulling me out of the incredible sensation I have been experiencing these past few minutes, yet it gets returned to me when I realize something. "Lea. His name is Lea. The name of the father of my child – or children if Sirius is right – is Lea." And just its simplistic strength makes me smile again.
"To be honest, Roxas, I really wasn't expecting a trap. I was just worried over the distance, nothing more." My mate's voice – Lea's voice – then sounds above me as he speaks, yet he seems to spot something else. And while I don't want to, do I feel like stepping out of his warm embrace. And I get proven right as a minute later something young, red-haired and female suddenly jumps my beloved the same way I just did Sirius earlier.

"LEA! YOU'RE HERE! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH! WHERE'S SORA! WHERE'S RIKU! ARE THEY OKAY? WHAT IS SAÏX DOING HERE?" The excited redhead bombards my mate with these questions, making me wonder who she is and how she knows my beloved soul mate. Yet Lea only laughs, his voice sounding like the song of Fawkes when he sung to cheer me up and reassure me a few months ago and he says:
"Good to see you too, Kairi. How long have you been here?" And the girl, to my sheer relief, lets go off my mate and gets back up, showing that she has a nice, petite frame, looks to be my age or perhaps a year older and has blue eyes. "Two months now. I remember Xemnas taking me after Roxas came back, but not really what happened after that. Though whatever it was, my body needed a month to recover itself. I have the Paopu fruit and the distance to thank for that."
This worries me, even if some of the lingo just confuses me and I notice that the blonde, who I think spoke up earlier, is holding a strange mechanical like device. And to my shock does it actually seem to work as he says: "Even, send Sora through now. We're not in danger and it's not a trap, but he needs to come. We – found – Kairi. She's here and –." And seconds later, before he can finish, does another door of darkness appear beside him.
From it two boys rush through, both of them yelling the girl's name and the girl herself tears up something fierce as she rushes for them as well, shouting: "SORA! RIKU!" And the three meet each other halfway through, the brunette which I guess is Sora twisting Kairi around on his axis before the other, I guess named Riku, encases them both in a hug, all three of them laughing and crying and proving they've missed each other.

At this I move closer to Lea and ask: "What happened?" And Lea sighs as he says: "Three months ago we had to face this really, really annoying group of – as Sora so eloquently called them – mumbo-jumbo-talking cowards and weirdos and one of them struck Kairi down because he needed her Pure Heart to accomplish his goals. But because her heart is so pure, did it not perish or succumb to the Darkness. Instead, like when she was little, it was send here – to keep her safe."
And while I still wonder how that could even be possible, do I decide, by the way that Lea speaks about it all, that it must be something like a common occurrence for him where he comes from. I notice Headmaster Dumbledore, who I still have trouble trusting after last Wednesday, approaching the trio and he kindly asks: "Mss. Kairi, why didn't you tell us you weren't from here?" And the girl turns a little red as she says:
"To be honest, I thought this was just another world back in the universe I was born in, Sir. Some of those are actually still closed off by borders and walls and don't know that there are worlds outside their own. I just thought this was one of those. And because, somehow, upon my recreation here I was granted what you call a core, I thought it best to enroll in your school and learn your ways. Thought it'd be easier that way to settle in."
She turns back to her friends and says: "I did, of course, still have my Gummi Phone as, somehow, all of my items and equipment grew back with me, probably because I got recreated in the outfit in which I was struck, but I heard so many others say that electricity doesn't work around magic that I didn't try to use it. Sorry, Sora, Riku." But the two shake their heads and Sora says: "It doesn't matter. We're just glad that you're safe, Kairi. And happy to have you back."

And the two share another warm hug, at which I instinctively move closer to Lea, who smiles at me warmly and wraps his arm around me. And the sensation of his strong, warm arm wrapped around my shoulder and form makes me sigh in delight again and makes me wonder if I will ever get enough of this – at which my mind screams of course not! Yet then, to my confusion, I suddenly hear Lea's voice coming out of the device in the blonde's hand.
"Hey Roxas." It calls out and Roxas looks down, his eyes widening and his face moving to looking at the device, then at Lea and then back before he stutters: "Wait – Axel?" And instantly both the black-haired girl with him and the blue-haired older teen on his other side move to look at the device over each of his shoulders, both of their eyes widening as well. "Yeah, I don't know how or why, but when you guys left – you left me behind.
And I didn't have Lea's weird sense calling out to him, so I decided to stop by Even in the hopes that you guys would call him on the Gummiphone. I would just come through the portal, but I thought it better to first let you guys know that I'm back. Give me a sec." And after that one second does he seem to have done as he said. Yet while the voice definitely sounded like Lea's when it came through the device, does the man himself look nothing like the perfection beside me.

"Okay, how is that possible?" Ron asks, actually looking between the two men as if he is trying to spot the differences, which just confuses me. "Indeed curious. Are you, by chance, Lea's twin brother or something?" Dumbledore asks and while I think: "Hardly." Does the other redhead say: "Nope, I'm his Nobody. I'm what gets left behind if Lea's heart gives away to Darkness. It happened a long time ago through a trick pulled on him and now – I'm back somehow."
Yet because of the lingo do I just feel even more confused. Though this doesn't seem to be the case for Dumbledore as he hums and says: "So you are Mr. Lea – yet not. You are both him and not him. Therefore, I suppose it stands to reason that, while you may have shared some similar traits, like perhaps a heart or something of the sort, you never quite shared the same soul. Thus your separation when Lea traveled here."
"And that's supposed to make sense?" The guy asks, to which I retort: "No, your lingo makes sense." Making my mate snort at me and making the other send me a cheesy grin. I sigh and say: "Basically, Lea and I are Soul mates. Our souls are perfect for each other. They are the kind of souls that, when in close proximity of each other, are basically like one. But – well – because there was so much distance between us, my soul needed help calling out to his."

And while I have been feeling exhilarated and incredibly content with where I'm standing, do I now feel myself being overwhelmed with a sense of fear and distress as questions I haven't even thought of since learning I was expecting rush through my mind. Yet I steel myself, gather my inner Lion and turn to Lea as I state: "Lea, I'm pregnant – and you're the father. Three days ago, our souls started calling out to each other, but in order for them to do so, their magic made me pregnant, so that the soul of our child could call along."
And while I talk, does my voice lose its strength and resolve and start to sound timid and afraid and I try with everything I have not to let my fear be shown by anything else, grabbing my pants with my hands in order to keep my hands and arms to not show any tremors or shakes of fear. Yet while Lea and his friends stare at me wide eyed, do I also notice that Lea actually started to smile as I declared him the father.
And then, to my tearful relief, the slightly older teen crouches down and runs his hands over my stomach as he whispers: "Are you really in there? Were you really the one calling out to me? Out to your daddy?" And just the fact that he calls himself the daddy of my baby takes away all of the fear and fright that I was fighting to overcome. I sigh in utter sheer relief and Lea looks up and asks: "What? What's wrong?"
I wince and mutter: "Sorry, I – I got scared. I – I was afraid that – that I would overwhelm you and – and that – that you'd resent me, hate me for burdening you with something like this." And an instant later I am back in that solid sense of perfection and warmth as Lea wraps himself around me and hisses: "Never. That can never happen. The news may have shocked me, but I love it and I will keep it memorized. This is the best late birthday gift ever."

"Your birthday was three days ago, wasn't it?" I then suddenly hear Sirius ask, startling me as I had completely forgotten about him and the others due to everything happening between Lea, Sora, Riku, Kairi and the new guy named Axel. Lea nods at him and Sirius walks over, reaches out his hand and when Lea grasps it, he says: "The name's Sirius Black. I'm Harry's godfather and, if you ever dare hurt him, darkness is the last thing you will ever see."
And to my shock does the man actually sound as crazy and determined as he did a year ago, when we were in the Shack and he was preparing to kill Pettigrew to make up for the fact that he was imprisoned for crimes he never committed. Yet while I want to yell and scream at Sirius for daring to think Lea would hurt me, does he only tighten his hold on me and calmly state: "Don't worry, Sirius Black, I got it memorized."

"Okay, enough with the seriousness around here." A new voice startles us all and I turn around and notice Fred and George coming up the hill. "Yeah, come on, let's celebrate!""Sirius is free.""Percy got his bloody due.""Harry has his mate.""These three friends are apparently back together.""And Lea deserves to celebrate the fact he's a father.""So let's head back to Harry's private chambers.""And start partying already!"
And while I snicker as I notice Roxas whispering at his black-haired friend: "Did you get any of that, Xion?" To which the girl named Xion just shakes her head and Roxas mutters: "Me neither." Do I state: "You guys are right. Come on, my rooms are this way." Yet then suddenly a voice yells out: "HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!" And as I turn around do I notice that an older teen, who I believe is in the twins' year or something, approach us.

"You can't be serious, right? You're actually going to party without us again? You can't do that to us! Black over here was in Gryffindor! The party should be held there! You can't –." But then, to my relief, Poppy steps in and asks: "Can't wait, Mr. Duggers? Decide for themselves where they wish to celebrate something that happened to one of their own? And why not? Because you Lions are still feeling too glorified for your own good?"
The lad stutters and tries to come up with an argument, but the woman just strongly states: "Heir Potter's family, Heir's Potter's decision. If any of them wished to decide otherwise, they would have probably spoken up. But considering that it was your own Year and House mates that suggested it, I think that speaks for itself.""Those self-centered bastards haven't slept in their own dorms all week! They don't even come back to the common room!"
"Gee, I wonder why." I hear Riku mutter to his friends, yet Duggers snarls: "Stay out of this, lowlife. You're nothing but a foreigner. What do you know about any of this?" Yet a minute later I think: "Apparently, enough to defend themselves when they feel insulted." As almost everyone around me suddenly summons the most amazing looking swords I have ever seen in my entire life – out of nothing but thin air and random stars appearing.

Riku then speaks up and says: "I may not know much about this world, but I can smell darkness from a mile away. And that arrogance of yours makes you reek. So do me a favor, step away so I can breath again. At least those self-centered bastards as you called them don't smell like you do." And while Duggers obviously feels insulted, does he stare in fright at the thick-looking sword with parallel grooves running the length of the blade.
He tentatively starts to back away and everyone, bar Lea, dismisses their weapons, me only then noticing that Axel and Isa seem to be the only ones present not to have the same kind of swords as Axel had circular weapons, one in each hand with spikes at the four points around the circles and Isa seemed to have some kind of long-sword with a round bar of spikes surrounding the end of the weapon. Yet they both dismiss these as well.
"Right, let's go." Sirius says, still glaring in annoyance at Duggers, who steps even further back and while hoping not to run into more annoyances like him on the way there, do I then spare a quick glance at Hermione, who gives me an agreeing nod. I nod back at her and when we're all inside the suspension bridge, do I whisper: "Dobby now, take us back to my rooms." And yet again I feel like I'm nothing, non-existent, for only a second.

"Okay, what just happened?" Sora asks and I answer: "I asked a friend of mine to use his special magic to get us straight to my rooms. They're several floors and half a tower away from where we were, so I thought it easier to go this route. Helps us avoid other idiots and annoyances like Duggers. Speaking of which –." Here I turn to Fred, George and Lee and ask: "Is he always like that?" To which Lee is the one to answer:
"Why do you think I only hang with these two and the team?" And Angelina sighs as she says: "Yeah, Arnold's the kind of guy that makes us wish that enchantment McGonagall placed on your glasses was on us – permanently." This makes me wince and feel sorry for the five of them, Alicia included as I realize that she is in the same year as the others. "Alright, enough negativity already. We got an upcoming baby to celebrate!" Sora suddenly yells.
And Dobby still seems within listening range as suddenly a huge round table appears in the center of the room, the room itself expanding on size a little to properly fit the large bit of furniture. "Ehm, your friend, I guess?" Sora asks and I nod before we all take our seats. And to my great delight do Sirius and Lea take a seat on each of my sides, Sirius on my left and Lea on my right. And just like in the Great Hall, do the plates and bowls fill themselves.

"Why don't we give you a bit of an explanation on our world? Considering that one of yours is now bonded to one of our own." Sirius suggests and the group of friends nod. "Okay, so our world is divided into two communities; one with magic like us and one without. We call the other community Muggles and, because they have never really shown us worldwide acceptance, we hide ourselves from them and make them believe that magic isn't real.
However, a magical child can be born from two Muggles. We call them Muggleborns. Hermione here is one such child." My best friend waves at being introduced and Sirius goes on: "There are also chances for a wizard to meet and fall for a Muggle woman – or the other way around – and for them to have a magical child. Or if a Muggleborn witch has a child with another wizard, the child is considered a Half-Blood. Harry falls under this category as his mother was Muggleborn as her parents were Muggles, but his dad was from a wizarding family."
This slightly saddens me as I suddenly realize that my baby will never get the chance to know his grandparents, but I don't let this show as Sirius motions for himself and says: "And then there's the final group. Harry's father, James, and I fall under this category. Both our parents and our grandparents were witches and wizards. Because of that, we are considered Purebloods.""And this matters?" Isa asks and Sirius shrugs as he says: "To a certain extent, though some people put more importance behind it than others."

He turns to me and says: "I mean, take Harry for instance. He may be a Half-blood, but his father did come from a powerful Pureblood family. Therefore, he has an incredible inheritance behind him and that will help him support his upcoming baby a lot easier than if it were just the inheritance of his parents only, even if both of them were brilliant at saving." I look around and notice that some of the others are smiling, yet others are frowning.
"I – I hate to ask this, but – where are Harry's parents?" Xion asks and I sigh as I mutter: "They were killed when I was one year old." Making the girl wince and mutter an apology. Yet I shake my head, not blaming her for wanting to know. And while we just return to our bit of celebratory lunch after this, do I suddenly notice that the maiden that guards my portrait reenters the same portrait she did a few days ago.

"Young Lord, there is a gentleman waiting at my portrait, wishing to speak with you." She gently tells me and while Lea and his friends look intrigued and amazed at her, do I turn to Alicia and Angelina, who nod and follow me through the hallway, yet they themselves keep standing halfway through. And when I open the portrait, do I smile at the person on the other side. "Hey Damian, how did you know my portrait was here?" I ask.
"I saw the twins come up this staircase yesterday. Didn't follow them, don't get me wrong, the doorway over there is a shortcut to Ravenclaw tower." This worries me, yet I think: "I'm still the only one who knows the password. Even if they realize this is the portrait, they need my permission before the maiden opens up." And with that thought do I ask: "So, what can I help you with?" And the slightly older boy turns a little nervous as he asks:
"I heard some rumors and was hoping you could confirm or deny them for me. Is it – is it true that Sirius got his trial today and that he got cleared of all charges?" I feel amazed at how quickly the Lions spread this news through the grapevine, but also notice that Damian called Sirius by his first name only. "Yeah, I've actually known he was innocent since the end of my Third and we got some really definitive evidence a few days ago."
And while this seems to really please the boy, do I also notice that his anxiety seems to grow as well and he asks: "Would it be – I mean – could I –?" And while I have known the boy since my First when he talked down on the twins for pestering me over the 150 point loss and while he has been a listening ear to me for years, have I never seen him like this. "You – you want to come in?" I ask, stepping to the side a little and Damian beams at me.

Yet as we get in, does Angelina step up and say: "Just one second." And while I wonder what her problem might be, does she wave her wand over Damian, only to smile afterwards and she says: "Good, no tracking or listening charms." At which Damian snorts and says: "Nah, I dispelled those before coming here, don't worry. I respect Harry's rights to privacy just as much as you do. No one knows I went this way."
I smile at the both of them and we head further inside. "Sirius, this is Damian. He seems to have known about your innocence as well. You betrayed yourself when you said only his first name instead of his full or last like everyone else." Damian rubs the back of his head at this and Sirius genuinely asks: "How long have you known?""Since I was three years old, since you were sent to Azkaban." "Then why didn't your parents try to get me released?"
"My adopted mum did try, Sirius, but she was threatened that both her and I would end up there as well if we continued. So we waited for a new Head of the DMLE, only to find out about Crouch's last act as Head. Since then, we've been waiting for Crouch to, no offence meant, kick the bucket as the Crouch line is known to state their crimes and misdeeds in their will. In fact, my mum is with Fudge right now with that will."

"Wait, why is she only presenting that will now?" Ron asks and Damian rolls his eyes as he says: "Umbridge. According to mum, she doesn't believe that Crouch should admit to his crimes in death, so she's been blocking the will from going public. And because Crouch didn't have anyone to bequeath his stuff to, his crimes were the only things reported in the will, so Umbridge was able to make it look as if he didn't have one. Mum was the only one who knew otherwise."
"How come he didn't have anyone? What about parents, siblings, a family of his own?" Sora asks and I answer: "All passed away. His son was the last and was taken out for being a criminal a few months ago. And considering what Crouch was like and how he actually denounced his son upon the guy's incarceration, I'm willing to bet he had Junior written out of the will right after that." Sora winces, but nods and Sirius asks:
"So, any reason my release was so important to you? Other than the fact that I was wrongfully imprisoned. Long story." He tells the others who are new. Yet Damian seems to smirk at him and says: "You already know, don't you?" At which the man stands up and walks over. And for some reason I spot the same look in his eyes as, I realize, he often has when looking at me. "I do. And I cannot even begin to express how happy I am to finally meet you."

"Okay, what's going on here?" Ron asks, basically voicing everyone's thoughts and Sirius tells him: "Have you ever heard of Marlene McKinnon? She and her entire family were killed by Voldemort three years before the war ended. They died in their own ancestral home. She was also my girlfriend and the only woman I ever loved. And well, just before she went to hide with her family, on her grandfather's orders, I noticed that she had a bit of a belly.
At the time I was eighteen years old and had never seen a pregnant woman before. I was devastated when she was killed and then, a few years later, noticed that Lily was growing a belly as well when she was pregnant of Harry. Instantly it clicked with me and – ever since – I've been stuck between two beliefs. Either my child was killed alongside his mother – or Marly managed to find someone else to raise him before she was killed.
I just – I never sought out such a child because – because I couldn't bear the thought of – of being wrong, of – of finding out that the child had died alongside his mother. It's wrong and selfish, but –." "But it's no worse or selfish than me never telling anyone that I'm your son. I mean, how do you think people would react if I told them hey, I'm the son of the man that killed 12 Muggles or hey, I'm the son of that escaped convict. No, that would have gone over well."
His father smiles at him and as I stand next to the two, do my eyes widen as I suddenly spot it. Damian, while having really dark brown eyes, has hints and specks of grey in them and while his hair is a really dark red, there are streaks of black mixed with the red. And even his features look only slightly less aristocratic to Sirius' own. And what really sells it for me is the way the two look at each other as the looks are almost identical. These two really are father and son.


Holy CRAP!
Okay, so this is actually something that came completely out of nowhere. At first I wanted to write a story about Damian, which also takes place somewhere over the course of Fifth and where he helps Harry past the hardships of the Ministry, the Order and the war, but I didn't feel like creating another new story, so I decided to implement him into this one. And while the HP wiki says that Marlene died in 1981, I'm using my artistic license.
Next chapter: Harry and Lea discuss a few decisions they want to make in regards to their kid and their friends and the new group addresses a few issues. Harry also admits that the whole thing with Dumbledore wanting him to adopt left its mark and the future of the couple and where they are going to stay from now on is discussed. What will be the outcome? Will Harry go with Lea or will Lea decide to stay in England with Harry?
Decisions, decisions,

Venquine1990