Harry Potter - family
Family
*
“Why do you always introduce me as your son?” Lucien slammed the front door shut behind him, barely missing Harry. The frustrated hero shrugged off his formal roves and folded them over his arm, trying to be calm.
“Because you are my son.”
Lucien whirled on him. “You are not my father. Draco Malfoy is my father, and I hate it when you pretend that’s not true!”
Harry sighed. “Lucien, you’re seventeen years old. Surely you know by now that I’m not trying to take his place.”
“But you are. Merlin, you’re so infuriating!”
Harry closed his eyes and began to count to ten. He could feel a headache coming on.
“I’m sodding leaving. Do you hear me? Do you even care?”
…4…5…6…. “Lucien-”
“Don’t look away from me!” It was the last thing Harry heard before he felt the air around him become full and dark, and everything went black.
*
“Oh Merlin I don’t know what to do, I don’t know-”
“What. Happened.”
“Oh gods I killed him he’s not moving-”
“Who. Isn’t. Moving.”
“Dad!”
The man in the portrait sat down suddenly. “Harry?” His voice broke.
Tears leaked from Lucien’s reddening blue eyes. His black hair was a mess from pulling at it.
“Harry?” The blond man in the portrait said again. Lucien nodded. His mouth twisted down at the corners. “Go get him. Now. Be careful-” But Lucien was already rushing out of the dark Manor attic and down the stairs with tripping thuds and thumps.
An eternity later, Harry Potter was being lowered with the glowing tip of Lucien Malfoy’s wand. “I…I thought he was invincible,” Lucien was mumbling.
“It’s not your fault.”
Lucien was awkwardly touching Harry’s face. “It is. I shouldn’t’ve…I just couldn’t help it. I was so mad, and then I wanted to hit him…”
“Relax, he’s a wizard. I’m sure he’ll come round soon enough. He’s taken much worse knocks than an angry boy.” Lucien sniffled in response. “Listen, you’ve got to learn to control your temper. You’re much too powerful to still be having these outbursts.”
“I know.”
“Remember when you accidentally threw Harry out the window when you were-”
“I know.” His hands tightened on Harry’s arm.
“You’ve got the entire Malfoy bloodline behind you-”
“I know!”
“-and the bloodlines of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort in your veins.”
Lucien stopped. Coughed. “What?”
“Harry is as much your father as I am, Lucien. Pansy was only a surrogate-”
“Draco?”
“Harry!” “Harry!” “Ouch! Don’t-” “Sorry…Dad.”
Harry froze. “You…what?” He turned to the portrait. “Draco? What…you’re…how long have you been up here?”
“Since it was painted,” Lucien answered guiltily.
“When-”
“A month before the Kiss.”
Harry gasped. He blinked rapidly and slowly sat up. “A month?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I never mentioned this portrait in my will, but it was such a spur of the moment thing, and then I didn’t like how my outfit turned out, and-”
“You stuck it in the attic and forgot about it.” Harry nodded, smirking slightly.
“I found it in second year,” Lucien admitted. “I didn’t tell you because…er…”
“I told him not to.” Draco looked contrite. “I was afraid to face you. I didn’t want to…to hold you back.”
“You never-”
“You’re too loyal, Harry! You should’ve married by now, had another child, not…not raised a son by yourself you didn’t even know was yours!”
Draco expected shock. He didn’t get it. “I knew.”
“How?”
“Pansy sent me a letter a few years ago. After I told the Prophet he was my son as much as yours. She thought I deserved to know the truth.”
“Oh.”
“You knew I was your son?”
“Since…for three years.”
“And you never told me?”
“I didn’t think Draco wanted you to know. Or me. I wanted to honor his wishes, at least until I died.”
Lucien shot to his feet. “What if I’d killed you today, what then?”
“Lucien, sit down,” Harry said tiredly. “Talk to your father. Er, your…you know…Draco. This is his last day up in the attic. Tomorrow he’ll be in my bedroom.”
Lucien gagged. “Gross, Har-Dad.”
“What?” Harry’s wide green eyes looked entirely innocent. “That’s where our family portrait is.”
“…Oh.”
Draco snickered. “You forget he’s a teenager. Honestly, how have you managed this far?”
Harry grinned. “Not very well, I’ll wager.” He winked at their son.
It coaxed a grin out of Lucien. “You’ve done well enough. I mean, you got me, didn’t you?”
*
“Why do you always introduce me as your son?” Lucien slammed the front door shut behind him, barely missing Harry. The frustrated hero shrugged off his formal roves and folded them over his arm, trying to be calm.
“Because you are my son.”
Lucien whirled on him. “You are not my father. Draco Malfoy is my father, and I hate it when you pretend that’s not true!”
Harry sighed. “Lucien, you’re seventeen years old. Surely you know by now that I’m not trying to take his place.”
“But you are. Merlin, you’re so infuriating!”
Harry closed his eyes and began to count to ten. He could feel a headache coming on.
“I’m sodding leaving. Do you hear me? Do you even care?”
…4…5…6…. “Lucien-”
“Don’t look away from me!” It was the last thing Harry heard before he felt the air around him become full and dark, and everything went black.
*
“Oh Merlin I don’t know what to do, I don’t know-”
“What. Happened.”
“Oh gods I killed him he’s not moving-”
“Who. Isn’t. Moving.”
“Dad!”
The man in the portrait sat down suddenly. “Harry?” His voice broke.
Tears leaked from Lucien’s reddening blue eyes. His black hair was a mess from pulling at it.
“Harry?” The blond man in the portrait said again. Lucien nodded. His mouth twisted down at the corners. “Go get him. Now. Be careful-” But Lucien was already rushing out of the dark Manor attic and down the stairs with tripping thuds and thumps.
An eternity later, Harry Potter was being lowered with the glowing tip of Lucien Malfoy’s wand. “I…I thought he was invincible,” Lucien was mumbling.
“It’s not your fault.”
Lucien was awkwardly touching Harry’s face. “It is. I shouldn’t’ve…I just couldn’t help it. I was so mad, and then I wanted to hit him…”
“Relax, he’s a wizard. I’m sure he’ll come round soon enough. He’s taken much worse knocks than an angry boy.” Lucien sniffled in response. “Listen, you’ve got to learn to control your temper. You’re much too powerful to still be having these outbursts.”
“I know.”
“Remember when you accidentally threw Harry out the window when you were-”
“I know.” His hands tightened on Harry’s arm.
“You’ve got the entire Malfoy bloodline behind you-”
“I know!”
“-and the bloodlines of Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort in your veins.”
Lucien stopped. Coughed. “What?”
“Harry is as much your father as I am, Lucien. Pansy was only a surrogate-”
“Draco?”
“Harry!” “Harry!” “Ouch! Don’t-” “Sorry…Dad.”
Harry froze. “You…what?” He turned to the portrait. “Draco? What…you’re…how long have you been up here?”
“Since it was painted,” Lucien answered guiltily.
“When-”
“A month before the Kiss.”
Harry gasped. He blinked rapidly and slowly sat up. “A month?”
“Yes. I’m sorry I never mentioned this portrait in my will, but it was such a spur of the moment thing, and then I didn’t like how my outfit turned out, and-”
“You stuck it in the attic and forgot about it.” Harry nodded, smirking slightly.
“I found it in second year,” Lucien admitted. “I didn’t tell you because…er…”
“I told him not to.” Draco looked contrite. “I was afraid to face you. I didn’t want to…to hold you back.”
“You never-”
“You’re too loyal, Harry! You should’ve married by now, had another child, not…not raised a son by yourself you didn’t even know was yours!”
Draco expected shock. He didn’t get it. “I knew.”
“How?”
“Pansy sent me a letter a few years ago. After I told the Prophet he was my son as much as yours. She thought I deserved to know the truth.”
“Oh.”
“You knew I was your son?”
“Since…for three years.”
“And you never told me?”
“I didn’t think Draco wanted you to know. Or me. I wanted to honor his wishes, at least until I died.”
Lucien shot to his feet. “What if I’d killed you today, what then?”
“Lucien, sit down,” Harry said tiredly. “Talk to your father. Er, your…you know…Draco. This is his last day up in the attic. Tomorrow he’ll be in my bedroom.”
Lucien gagged. “Gross, Har-Dad.”
“What?” Harry’s wide green eyes looked entirely innocent. “That’s where our family portrait is.”
“…Oh.”
Draco snickered. “You forget he’s a teenager. Honestly, how have you managed this far?”
Harry grinned. “Not very well, I’ll wager.” He winked at their son.
It coaxed a grin out of Lucien. “You’ve done well enough. I mean, you got me, didn’t you?”