Chapter fourteen.

The next morning Harry woke up to hushed voices outside his room, it felt heavenly, being able to wake up in his own room and not in that hideous orange walled hospital ward he was holed up in for one solid week. True it would've taken a whole lot longer if there was no magic, but still. He almost felt like himself again.
He stretched a little, straining his ears to hear scraps of conversation being exchanged. Two male voices. One was obviously his father but Harry had no idea about the other.

He yawned wildly and sat up, knowing that there was no point in eavesdropping. If Dad didn't want him to hear, he would've simply put up a silencing charm. He didn't seem to have a problem hiding things before. His mind jeered.

Shut up. Harry growled back.

He shook out the soreness in his legs and made his way across the room, watching from the ajar door with narrowed eyes. The conversation trailed off with dad grumbling a ' I know.'.

The other voice answered with a mocking ' of course you do.' and Harry frowned.

Upon further investigation, the other voice turned out to be Lucius Malfoy. As in the rich, aristocrat, filthy rich, arrogant, filthy rich, friend of his father. Also Draco Malfoy's Dad. His arch nemesis.

The man was sitting on Dad's armchair while his father paced, both settled in a comfortable silence as Harry spied from the cracks of his door. Harry strained his ears in the eerie silence and could hear retching from the bathroom. So Janet was throwing her guts up. Serves her good, Harry thought with a tiny bit of guilt and looked over at his Dad and Malfoy. Why wasn't Dad helping her? That seemed uncharacteristic. He mused.

He'd bet his Quidditch card set that Malfoy was the friend Dad was talking about last night. It kind of made sense, his dad was never one to really make friends with anyone, Malfoy senior was one of the few. Harry felt morbid all the same.

Suddenly as if on cue, the man's head whipped to Harry's direction in a flash.

"Ahh, this must be Harold. Good morning young man." Harry stopped dead in his tracks, suddenly aware that he was in his blue stripped pajamas and an un glamored face, stalking his dad and Malfoy from a crack of his door. Like a total creep.

Flushing, he considered closing the door and pretending to go back to sleep but decided that was too rude and gulped.

"Good morning." He greeted shyly and stepped out of his room, looking at his dad who did not look embarrassed in the slightest. If anything, the man actually looked amused. The toilet flushed and Harry could hear a loud groan emerging from the bathroom. Dad winced in sympathy.

Escape root. His mind yelled.

"Did you sleep well?" If he wasn't so embarrassed he might have said something about the soreness in his face. but gulped it down.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry.. Do you mind if i ...?" Janet sneaked into the kitchen right on time and Harry darted to the bathroom.

"Not at all Mr. Potter. Take your time. " reeling the fourteen year old released a long huff as he closed the bathroom door behind him, feeling utterly ashamed.

Draco was going to have a field day with him the moment he set foot in Hogwarts again, Harry mused darkly. Oh god, if the face and freaky attitude or the articles weren't going to do it for him, Lucius Malfoy catching him almost naked or stalking definitely would.

But Harry supposed that didn't matter if he was going back to live with his real parents anyway. He might not even be able to live in England anymore, so Draco's petty bullying would be the least of his problems right now.

After a quick wash up and change of clothes ,Harry felt much more grown up and confident about himself, he padded to the kitchen where his dad ,Janet and Malfoy were sitting around the round oak table, all hunched over a piece of parchment. Janet was stuffing her face with scrambled eggs as she nodded to something Dad was saying. As if she hadn't been puking her guts out just a moment ago, Harry was surprised to see her already showing a baby bump. It felt odd to see her really pregnant. Although, he might have been too occupied to notice the signs before, it shouldn't have felt so sudden.

"Good morning ." Janet smiled and Harry glared instinctively, sitting himself next ot his dad.

Lucius raised his eyebrows in question but Dad shook his head.

"Eggs?"

"And toast please." a steaming plate hovered in front of him and Harry smiled, pouring himself a glass of milk.

"May we proceed?" Lucius Malfoy asked dryly, looking like the perfect impression of his son, pointy chin and all.

Dad took the opening right away. Uh oh, Harry thought, the tone in his dad's voice made him almost pity James Potter. Almost. though he had no idea what was going on.

"Are we absolutely sure that people on this list are reliable?" the potion master took one look at his fiance and she shrugged, downing her own glass of milk with enthusiasm.

"Of course they are Severus. Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Like father like son, he supposed. The next following minutes just proved his point, the man struck him as blunt and and ambitious. He had a glint in his eyes, Harry processed it as greed at first, but as he gazed deeper, he found the glint was more similar to Dumbledore's twinkling eyes. Even though the man was not as arrogant as his son, it was evident that the man was in fact a Malfoy right to the core.

And he knew something they didn't.

"I merely want to make sure that I don't get myself in a bigger mess." that was his father after the first ten minutes, deflated and tired but still determined. Though Dad still sounded like an addict in withdrawal.

That might have more to do with him constantly checking on Harry throughout the night than his distraught mind. Harry pretended he was asleep, but he felt Dad check on through the cracks of his door at least every two hours. Poor guy.

Malfoy smirked.

Harry frowned in response. It would've been much better if someone told him what was going on.

"Um... What are we talking about?"

"Your parents and I are looking for a suitable lawyer to get us out of the mess your mut....godfather created." Harry blanched. The fork dropped out of his hand. Your parents. Not your Dad. Your parents. For a moment, just a single moment, Harry thought that the man was talking about /them/.

"My parents?" he repeated slowly, avoiding their gazes. That was plural. Not singular. Not his Dad. His /parents/.

Malfoy clicked his tongue in annoyance and rolled his eyes.

"What do you call them Potter? Your nannies? Your babysitters? Of course they're your parents! Honestly Severus, you wouldn't stand a chance against Potter with an attitude like this." he nodded his chin at Harry and the boy gaped.

"Hey!"

"Harry, please behave." Dad rubbed his eyes tiredly, and went over the list again.

"Any of them has ties with the ministry?" Janet mused, chewing on her toast.

Lucius Malfoy clicked his tongue again.

"On which side? That depends on whether you can curb a compliance goody two shoes lawyer, aka via bribery, or do you need a good straight forward and law abiding lawyer who would probably get you in more of a mess than you already are?"

"I don't care which Lucius. Someone to get us out of this."

"Then stop wasting time and trust my judgment." the man sneered, his soft blond hair flickering as he turned his head to look at Janet and Harry.

"What we need more than anything now is publicity. Drama. That's what we need, Potter might be able to buy the ministry or the officials, but we will have the same amount of influence by buying people. Fudge would do anything to keep up his demeanor." his scrutinizing stare went right over the boy and Harry felt his toes curl under the gaze.

Harry didn't know, that if running away in a storm and burning in a tree by a lighting and then getting disfigured wasn't dramatic enough, then what was. Though he could always throw himself off a bridge in an act of protest.

"The wizarding world believes that you are being neglected Potter, honestly, your recent records and injuries are not looking very bright either. With the stunt you pulled just two weeks ago, and then another one before the world Cup... James Potter is literally trapping you like a fish out of water."

The aristocrat man caressed his delicate staff with a frown. "So we need to show them that that's not true?" Janet asked, dark shadow crescents nestled under her striking blue eyes, there were bread crumbs on her face and she looked like she didn't even care.

"That wouldn't be enough Evans. We need emotional outrage. We need Potter freaking out. Potter junior..."

"Harry."

"/Harry/ is a mere child. We don't need to change our words, we just need to manipulate them. According to daily prophet and that stupid snitch who gave all of this information away, Harry ran away because of the emotional turmoil and the pressure of the opposition between his half aunt, and the person he had come to call his mother..."

"But I didn't..."

"/That's / the point Potter. Skitter writes nonsense, but that is the story we need to milk. You had come to love Evans as your own mother, you loved her and your family, but then you find out about her true identity. You're a kid with anxiety disorder and a teenager just in his puberty. You felt conflicted, got stuck at the wrong place at the wrong time, and then a lighting struck. "

"I have a feeling that's metaphorical. "

Harry had to admit, Malfoy's plan was a brilliant one, not flawless, but it had next to zero room for failure, still that one percent of error was always there, and the results would be irreversible this time. They would cause an public outrage, get people on their side, go to trial as a highly bonded and functional family, if possible dismiss their custody claim and if not create one big of a mess even Potter can't handle.

Malfoy warned them that the records in their favor might not be at hand anymore, that all those abuse filed claims and evidence had most likely disappeared by now, courtesy of James Potter, and that it would be really hard to prove their word on a case that had gone cold nine years ago.

Still Dad seemed certain that they had the upper hand somehow and Harry felt reassured too, everything was in place, except one little thing.

"Why can't we just tell them the truth? I mean... What if we tell them that they abandoned me and... And that I'm legally privileged to choose my own guardian?" oh, how Harry wished it would be as easy as that.

Dad took his time to reply. Janet gulped loudly, Harry couldn't tell if she was trying to avoid another trip to the bathroom or just felt nervous.

"You are not of age Harry. You wouldn't remember, but the last time I got your guardianship, they willingly signed the forms only after three sessions, we did file for abuse but in the end it was never confirmed. The only actual records we have of your abuse is the pictures they took when you were little."

Harry remembered very little of when he was adopted. He recalled Dad ( seve'us then) going back and forth with another bald man, going to the court when Harry was often left with the Weasleys (back then, they were only neighbors) and clueless as to what was going on.

Then one day, Dad told him that he was allowed to come, they went to a posh looking office and Dad signed some form with something akin to a smile.

/""So you're my daddy now?" little Harry asked timidly, dangling his legs back and forth in his seat. Sev'us kissed him on the forehead and nodded.

"Yes I am Harry, I'm going to be your daddy forever and ever." Harry couldn't help it, he didn't want to sound whiny, or like a baby, he was six after all. But he couldn't help himself, he started crying. He leaped in Daddy's arms and hugged him tight. He had a daddy, Sev'us was his daddy now, and he liked Harry, he kissed him and told him that he loved him everyday, they painted his room together and they had fun. Mommy and first daddy never did those things for him.

But Sev'us did. And now Daddy did. /

Harry shook his head to clear his head.

"But aren't those enough? I mean, I've shared memories before, what if I just show them to the wizagoment? With the pictures and memories surely..."

Dad shook his head, and sipped his tea. "Memories and pictures are modifiable. James Potter has enough influence to make sure those memories and pictures never make it to the court in time. The only other solution is veritaserum..."

"Which is illegal for you as a minor." Lucius Malfoy interjected swiftly. "The only solution is we either play on the crowd or some solid face punching evidence to back up our claim. The case has gone cold for almost nine years now." that made no sense, but Harry supposed it didn't have to if the whole department was bought.

"What if the plan fails?"

"You have to go back with the Potters. Whether back to France or here in Potter's mansion."

"I don't understand. Why does he have so much power? They weren't even in England."

"They're one of the most important members of the sacred twenty eight. That on itself is a big factor Potter." Lucius interjected firmly and waved his wand, the quill stood upright and started scribbling away on the parchment.

"When is the meeting with Black and his pet?" he asked distractedly.

Dad sipped the last spoonful of tea with a stoic face and tried to not ogle Harry.

"Half an hour from now, Harry, you are also welcome to join us if you wish."

Harry nodded his head vigorously, his eyes darkened. Janet however, pushed her plate away and stood, promptly leaving the room with a blank face ( probably just upset or about to crash in the bathroom again) as his father soon followed, Harry sighed. He might as well get ready too.

"A moment of your time Potter?" Harry blinked. The Malfoy matriarch was still seated in his chair, straight as a wooden stick. The kitchen door was slammed shut with a wave of wand and Harry was indicated back to his seat.

"Of course." he said more out of courtesy.

"I am going straight to my point. Are you really genuine regarding your feelings and intentions toward this family or not? Do you want to stay with them even after everything?" the man's voice carried atone he couldn't recognize, Harry hesitated for a beat.

"I... Do." Lucius nodded thoughtfully but didn't look convinced in the slightest.

"Are you absolutely, one hundred percent sure that you want to stay with your father and your aunt? Possibly the child they're having?"

Was he? Did he even he have a choice?

"...Of course."

"Of course?! Potter I thought the whole point of running away was showing protest against their relationship." Harry swallowed thickly and nodded.

"It is... I mean, It was. But, with everything happening now... I think I should let go of this matter until everything else is taken care of. " he had bigger things to worry about now. The mortification that he used to call his life had to be prioritized.

Organized from devastating and more pressing problems to smaller ones. Living with his so called redeemed abuser aunt was nothing in comparison to actually going to live back with his real family whom hated him so much they left him in the streets.

"So you are not sure if you want to stay." Harry shrugged helplessly.

"I'm definitely not going back there either sir. My dad... He messed up really bad.... But he's a good Dad. I did forgive him." this was the truth. He had had a good life with his dad, the man was once his everything.

In comparison to to other fathers and specially Malfoy, his father was the number one Dad anyone could ever ask for. Still was. But, not to the same level. Not in Harry's eyes anyways.

Not yet.

Malfoy huffed in disappointment.

"My son was right Potter. You are the most naive, gullible, sentimental, and Gryffindorish person I have ever had the misfortune of meeting. A /Hufflepuff/ can hold grudges longer than you can, boy. Not like Potter senior at all." the tone was not laced with complimentary, or wasn't even soft in the slightest.

Disappointment? Pity? Harry couldn't be sure.

"I'm sorry." the man just rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

"Then give me a verbal definite answer. Do you, or do you not want to live with him?" Harry sensed the man's impatient and nodded slowly. Almost reluctantly.

"I do. I... I want to live with him." he stuttered out when the man narrowed his eyes in exasperation.

"What of Black and... Lupin?" Harry heard shuffling from the living room and shook his head.

"I love them both, but they're not really parent material." definitely not parent material.

"The Weasleys?"

Harry shook his head mutely. He didn't /want/ a new family. He didn't want a new dad. He had a Dad. A person, who had dedicated his entire life, money and his sole attention to Harry. He had no doubts about that. That man had raised him, had healed him, and he deserved more credit.

"Seat Potter. It only takes a moment."


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"Sirius, can you please stop trying to chew holes in our carpet?" Remus Lupin the former Professor of defense against the dark arts barked out of frustration. His own hunched figure bouncing nervously on his armchair by the fireplace.

Padfoot whined pathetically and rolled on his back. Remus sighed.

"Please. That rug is not made of steel you know, it's ancient, and your teeth aren't exactly considered home friendly."

The dog morphed into a pouting man and Sirius stretched on the floor with ease.

"I'm nervous. They're gonna be here any minute. Do you think Harry really hates us?" Remus rolled his eyes.

"Ask me that when they're here." he paused. "We messed up Sirius, we really did."

"We wanted what was best for him. J... James was just a nail in our wheel? Is that what muggles say? An annoyance." Sirius said and barked out a humorless chuckle. Remus narrowed his eyes in rage.

"Well that minor nail in your ass is going to wrench your godson out of our lives for good."

Sirius jumped up to his feet with a hurt expression on his face. Screwed with disbelief.

"You think I did this on purpose?!" the werewolf just rubbed his face in response.

"No, but you could start to take things seriously." Sirius smacked his leg with the back of his hand, a frown fixed on his face.

"First, bad pun, and second, I am taking this seriously. That's why we asked for their help." he waved an air towards the fireplace, Remus sighed groggily. He was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. Lately, that was a natural occurrence and the wolf was not happy about it.

"I don't even care as long as my cub is safe and happy."

Sirius tensed, withdrawing his hand with a nervous shrug in response. Both sat in silence for a while before Sirius seemed to gather up his courage.
"Don't yell alright? But... But can I ask you something? If... If there was a chance , any chance that allowed us to take Harry in.... Wouldn't you want to take it?" he rushed the question, staring right into Remus' amber eyes with desperation.

"Sirius..."

"Come on, don't deny it. You want it too. That's why we did this in the first place! Even though we messed up, we still want Harry." Remus put his hand on the man's shoulder, pity surged and bubbled in his chest like a brewing cauldron and he didn't know whether to feel guilty for quietly agreeing with Sirius or angry for wanting it at all.
They had no right to want something like that after the mess they had made.

"I do want him with us. But, maybe we shouldn't have persuaded this urge? I mean, look at us now!"

"I'm just asking rhetorically moony. Have you ever imagined it? As in, Harry.... Calling us his Dads.... And parent/kid stuff..." he trailed off, and stared off into space.

"You don't even know what you want." Remus accused.

"I still want Harry out of that house. That's for sure."

Their heads turned as the floo flared in life, Remus got to his feet and Sirius scrambled off the ground. Severus Snape stepped out in their living room, followed closely by his very green looking fiance.

"Black, Lupin." both nodded anxiously, knowing that Harry would join them soon.

Harry /fell/ out of the floo with flapping arms and a resigned expression on his face, like a graceless goose the boy toppled into his father's prepared arms and murmured a silent thank you. Their usual transportation routine.

Dusting off the soot, Harry turned and looked at his godfathers for a greeting. Sirius and Remus stared back, lost, and unsure of what to do, they silently prayed that Harry wasn't as mad as yesterday.

Harry rolled his eyes and stepped up to hug both men.

"Hi Sirius, Remus." Sirius's eyes bulged and his mouth dropped open. Slowly his shaking arms went around the small boy, unsure if he should really hug him back.
Harry felt like hugging two floorboards, the men seemed too taken back and startled to really appreciate his warm greeting or hug him in return. Typical of them really. Harry's anger blasts usually lasted more than a day. But never more than three.

"Hey... Kiddo."

"Hi Harry." maybe he had gone a little too fast on them. He shouldn't have officially announced his readiness to forgive the men and/or his dad. Maybe Malfoy was right and he was too forgiving.

"Sorry for acting so rude yesterday guys. I really am." drilled into him from the age of three. Apologize, even though it's not your fault.

"We're the ones who sorry kiddo, we know we screwed up, you don't have to..."

"No hard feelings." the boy waved them off and Malfoy sighed in frustration, the man pinched the bridge of his nose.

"That's exactly the reason why you're gonna fail in court."

"Excuse me?" Harry asked. Sirius pushed Harry behind himself and coldly surveyed the man before him.

"Malfoy."

"Black. This place still looks like a dump." Sirius seethed, but said none. Severus disappeared after Janet, Harry could hear their rushing steps to the bathroom upstairs. Nasty. He thought.

"I believe the ministry's summon is left unopened?" Harry wiggled out of Remus's iron grasp and headed for the couch.

"Of course. I'm not an idiot."

"Could've fooled me. Right to the point then. Where is the letter?" a owl hooted loudly from the kitchen, Remus winced. That darn thing hadn't left since delivering his message of doom.

"Follow me. Kreature! Where are you, you deranged elf?" reluctantly, Harry pushed himself off the couch, he felt his legs sting a little but tried to bury the small pain.

"What does the letter have to do with this?" he asked curiously as Sirius and Remus followed ahead.

Malfoy lowered his snake staff on the floor and shook his head.

"I'll explain later. Where is that... Board I requested?"

"It's a whiteboard sir. Here. This is the marker." he handed the blue marker from the inner pocket of his jacket. He also handed the shrunken board to the man for enlarging.

"Very well."

Just before Harry could step in after his godfather Malfoy grasped his shoulder firmly."Potter... Pay attention. You might need the information later."
"Yes sir." Harry nodded slowly.

Malfoy set up the white board and enlarged another set of files, Harry could only assume were for the Potters. Dad and Janet walked back in, both took a seat on wither side of the boy.

Janet took advantage of the bowl of fruit in the middle, to have another after breakfast snack. This was her third.
The man charmed the marker and stood beside the board as a teacher would.

"As we have established thus far, the possibility of Black... And Lupin getting custody of Harry is not plausible in any way. As the aggressive party, they can't let the accusations to be too sloppy, neither can they afford to hold strong accusations against Harry's current guardian. On the other hand, Potter senior is the third concerned party, with influence and power. The best way to find a good strategy is to compare the two, assess the similarities and find weaknesses." the first file floated to the board, Harry made out his own features in an older man. A handsome older man in his thirties.

The marker started writing elegantly.

"James and Lily Potter, both high ranking aurors, actively involved in both ministries." a thick line divided the board in two and Malfoy wrote each of the names in one of the halves.

"Severus is a potion master, and a Professor working in Hogwarts for four years now, impressive resume... With not enough popularity among students /or/ the staff, or the officials..." Sirius raised a hand.

"And he's a deatheater." he said blankly and Snape sneered. Janet hummed loudly, swallowing her gigantic apple bite. Harry rolled his eyes. Snow white would choke on that, he snorted.

"I'm a potion mistress too."

They all stared at her in mild shock. She cleared her throat.

"What? Why does everyone seem to forget the fact that I have a job?!" Malfoy peered in his file after a moment and the marker started writing again.

"The Potters also have one younger son, currently being home schooled, no recent reports of abuse, suspicious injuries or neglect. The Potters have also donated quite a lot of money recently." compared to them, Harry felt like he was already losing.

Dad had other ideas. "I invented some of best accessible potions in the last five years or so..." Janet nodded.

"I work for W.A.N.D charity system." she said as she was peeling a banana.

"And Harry also has four scrolls worth of life threatening injuries listed down on his medical record." the information went under the cons. Harry squirmed guiltily.

"But those were my fault." he said quietly.

Malfoy nodded stoically. "Still, it can be used as valid evidence of neglect."

Sirius and Remus, flinched mutely.

"There is no weakness or sore spot in their reports. As well as their substantiation and funds, according to my files, Harry had had five different accounts as well as two mansions in Scotland before he was disowned..." Sirius whistled and Remus smacked him upside the head.

The boy moistened his lips in distress. "I have a broom now?" Harry said.

Dad rolled his eyes and got another envelope out of his robe pocket. He handed it out to his friend.

"He has two trust funds Lucius, and of course the prince vaults and properties would be his inheritance right..." Malfoy grazed his lips as he compared the two documents.

"Not even close enough Severus. Your statistics are quite impressive but not even close to what they have suggested, they're from a wealthy bloodline after all."

"What about the blood though? That is a big factor. Lily is a muggle born." Janet suggested.

"We're both halfbloods." Dad reminded her.

She heaved a sigh in annoyance. "Well, damn."

Harry gazed away from his alleged 'parents' and back to the man pacing in front of him."So what should we do now?"

Malfoy gave him a calculating glance. "This does not look good. Everything is in their favor, no matter from which angle we look at it. Every angle...Except for my plan." Harry ducked his head, his heart gave a sudden jolt. Remus perked up as he felt Harry's slight distress.

"Which is...?" he prompted and Sirius looked back and forth between the man in confusion. Severus blankly stared ahead.

"It doesn't involve you."

Kreature chose that exact moment to pop in with a sharp snap, carrying a clothed object.

"Is that the envelope?" Dad asked, boarding his shoulders. Remus nodded.

"We didn't want to risk touching it."

"Wise decision Lupin." Harry looked at the offending object. It looked heavy, though Harry could tell it was only an envelope. Was this the summoning letter from the ministry? Why was it so crucial to let it remain unopened? Was it like signing a contract? Was it irreversible?

Before he had time to blurt out his questions, Malfoy carelessly snatched the cloth covered envelope in his hand, shrank the whiteboard and its marker and turned to face them with his usual jeer.

"Is you ready for lunch masters?" Kreature spat out, Sirius rolled his eyes in disdain.

Janet nodded immediately and Dad sighed. Even the thought of consuming food sounded nauseating to the boy. He nodded anyway, he couldn't afford to show weakness now. Something squirmed in his guts.

Malfoy took his staff and store to the floo without further due.

"I have a meeting in fifteen minutes with a coworker, I will be back tomorrow with the lawyer, I will keep in touch. Excuse me."

"Thanks Malfoy, we really appreciate the help." Lucius looked over his shoulder, his pointy chin high up, pointed at the roof. The man smirked.

"It's not for you. It's just some good old fashioned revenge."

"Whatever." Sirius grumbled.

"Take care Severus. Evans." the man disappeared in green flames. Harry sagged back against his chair in relief, he watched as the adults bickered and Sirius or Remus occasionally asked questions. Looking much more comfortable with Malfoy out of their house.

Harry didn't know it then, but everything went just as planned. Maybe even too well. For now, Harry knew exactly what he should do at the trial. Malfoy had told him everything and Harry was ready. For the better or worse.


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The last picture he had with his dad that fall was only two nights after Malfoy's help and five days until the trial. Dad took him out early at night, Janet cranky and under the influence of pregnancy hormones was left behind.

They walked along the kerb , hands in pockets and settled in a compatible silence. Harry had glamour and Dad had forced him to wear an extra layer in case he got cold. He looked pensive.

Harry didn't think of anything of importance that night, his relationship with his dad was more or less back to normal, somehow he didn't care about what Janet thought, and was fine enough with the glamour until he was healed.

That night everything just felt light. Not important enough to ruin the mood both father and son were in.

Dad took him to a falafel stand, they ate their dinner as they peacefully walked in the quiet streets, with flickering lights and a curtain of stars above them.
Harry remembered, once when he was freshly adopted, Dad had helped him balance his way on the kerb . He held his hand as Harry stumbled on the stony surface, stubborn as hell and childishly having fun.

He didn't walk on the kerb that night, like a grown young man, he walked side by side his dad on the same streets, he didn't have bright green rainy boots or yellow animated rain coats, his glasses weren't too big on his eyes anymore and he didn't stick out his tongue in concentration as he used to do as a child.
He felt matured, as Arthur Weasley used to call him as a child, Harry felt like a 'big boy', he felt grown up, important, and mature. Dad seemed to realize that too, Harry could be wrong, but he caught the man gazing at the kerb more than once.

He also realized many other things that night, he realized the root in their problems wasn't Janet. It wasn't even the fact that she somehow turned out to be his aunt. It was the fact that they didn't want to change.

Harry didn't want them to change, as long as he could remember, it was always him and his dad against the world. Him and his dad drinking coffee with sprinkles, him and his dad watching Disney movies, him and his dad walking hand in hand along the pavement.
Even now, Harry wanted them to stay the same. So that Janet and the other baby would remain outsiders. He wanted his dad alone, and that wasn't even jealousy. It was nostalgia, the sense of belonging only his dad alone could give.

Was change bad? Harry thought a lot about that too, as they made their way through the canopy of trees, heading to a familiar destination.
Dad didn't seem to mind the lateness at all as they both somehow ended up at the park. Flickering lights, swings and the blue see saw in the corner.
Instead of the swings, Dad settled under an oak tree, Harry joined him soon.

"It's not like you to let me stay up so late. Specially now."

Dad shrugged, both leant back to the tree.

"I didn't bring you here on your birthday this year. I don't want to break the tradition."

"I don't want that too." They had come here, with Janet only a few months back. But Harry had the feeling that, that particular visit didn't count.
"How is your studies going?" Dad asked with ease, his tone was calm and collected. Like /himself/ again.

"Remus is brilliant, Dad. I'm already catching up with the others."

"I talked with Professor Dumbledore, he said you are welcome to attend Hogwarts any time you were ready. I assume that I gave him the right answer by declining the offer for now?" he rose an eyebrow, Harry smiled softly.

"Yeah. I'll go back soon though." he turned to the man with knitted eyebrows. "Dad... Why did you really bring me here this late at night?"
The potion master sighed.

"Is it a crime to want to talk with my son?"

Harry cocked his head and narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"You're doing that a lot lately. Don't lie. I saw the camera in your robes." not that his dad was subtle about it.

Dad nodded slowly. "Well there is that too. So my child has a Slytherin strike in him after all."

"Maybe I do. Not like you or Malfoy though." he didn't particularly like to be a snake. Maybe once he would have... But he had changed.

"For us Slytherins, life is a chess Harry. We have to be patient, aware and strategic at all times."

"You never approved of me being a Gryffindor. Did you?" where was he going with this?

"What makes you say that?" Dad asked curiously.

"I remind you of them. They were Gryffindors too, I disappointed you then, didn't I?"

"Of course not. I told you then and I'm telling you now, I'm proud of you, just the way you are Harry. A Slytherin shouldn't be able to do the things you did. I never regret your choice. I never did then, and I don't now." the tone was honest. Harry couldn't help but snort.

"That is so literal though. Even the sorting hat said I should do well in Slytherin. Karma is such a bi.... Biscuit." he just caught the curse from slipping, Dad glared at him half heartedly.

"How is your Glamour?"

"Good. It's still active right?"

"...Yes. When this is all over though, I'm taking you on a vacation. We can go to Plymouth. "

"Dad, I have school." was Harry shocked about his father's easy going attitude? Not at all. He kinda wanted a vacation too. He wasn't a child anymore, he had been escalated into something more.

"You ditched two weeks already, another week wouldn't do that much damage." Dad dryly drawled and Harry grinned.

"That does not sound like you at all. Who are you and what you've done to my dad?" Dad smirked wryly and got out his camera.

"You mentioned a camera?" Harry scooted away and yelped.

"Oh no, don't even think about it Dad." no way he would be in a picture looking like that.

Dad tapped the camera with his wand and it hovered above their shoulders.

"You know I will take that picture either way. As I recall you have enough experience to know how both pictures turn out. Your choice." Harry scurried to his knees and narrowed his eyes.

"Dad, come on. I don't feel pretty enough for photos now." Dad had an answer for that too. Something he had never said to Harry before.

"I believe a certain someone would have something to say to that." he said with a straight, dead on face. Harry gaped.

"Oh my god, not you too! Dad please. I'm under glamour anyway." he crab walked to the nearest tree, relishing the feeling of wet grass under the palm of his hands. it felt good to feel the grass crunch under his fingers instead of the metallic chains of his swing. Different, thrilling.

"Let me take that hideous charm off. I only put it on because you insisted in the first place. There is nothing wrong with your appearances."

"Dad my face..." the man waved him off with a roll of his eyes.

"Will heal, that messy mop of a hair will all grow back and Seamus Finnegan would be better off being the singed eyebrow nominate than you ever will Harry. It's just a stage of life, it will pass and these photographs are the only reminder left for us in the future."

"You're just saying that because you have to." Harry pouted and crossed his arms. Suddenly he got the impression that how similar he looked to his eleven year old self before being sorted. When he refused to take pictures and Dad just did it anyway.

Dad shook his head regretfully.

"Yes well, people don't exactly choose the way their kids turn out. They have to love them anyway."

"I feel like I should be insulted." Harry put in. Dad took the hovering camera and slyly turned to face him.

"Think of the Weasley twins and choose your next words carefully brat."

"Alright, I'm not that bad." Harry exclaimed. Secretly enjoying their bantering. It felt normal again, something old Harry and Severus would do.
Dad scoffed and loomed closer with the camera.

"You fought a basilisk, faced a Werwolf and almost got crushed in a massive chess set. My job isn't exactly easy here."

"No Photo please..." Dad smirked.

"I gave you two options, we will not leave this park without a picture." he wanted it too, so he gave up on arguing and shrugged nonchalantly. Even though he genuinely felt happy and light hearted.

"Fine, I guess one wouldn't hurt. But you have to be in it too, I'm not suffering alone ." Dad rolled his eyes and let go of the hovering camera.

"You cheeky brat, just wait until I'm back at my post as potion master again, those cauldrons haven't been scrubbed in a long time. They missed you." he wagged a finger at Harry's direction. Father and son scooted closer, facing the hovering camera.

Snap.