Divine Intervention

When Harry woke the next morning, it wasn’t to the sight of the study where he had fallen asleep the night before. The room he awoke in was far bigger. And a lot higher up.

Harry sighed in delight as he sank into the soft material beneath him. He was warm and snug. He never wanted to leave his safe cocoon.

It was the realisation he was lying on a mattress and covered by a thick quilt that startled him out of his sleepy daze. He sat up surprised.

Harry looked around in shock at the opulent bedroom. He was lying on a four poster bed made of a pretty, teak wood and dressed in silken sheets. Carved into the bed frame were delicate, intertwining snakes that curled around the headboard and up the four posts.

On closer inspection it appeared the room was divided into two parts. The first was the bedroom he was currently in. On either side of the bed stood a matching wooden side table and above, two silvered candle holders ensconced in the wall. Like all the candles and lights in the palace, they were charmed with magical fire that would not heat or burn if touched.

Large windows with fluttering cream curtains lay to the left of the bed, with a desk tucked into the corner of one of the pillars dividing the room in half. A series of empty shelves lined the opposite wall, waiting to be filled with books.

Through the dividing pillars, Harry spied a marble fireplace surrounded by comfy looking chairs in a light shade of green to match the bedspread. More shelves and intricately woven tapestries attired the walls.

It was a beautifully adorned room. Tastefully put together with a great deal of care. Harry stared in awe.

The only thing he couldn’t fathom is why he was here. He distantly remembered drifting off to sleep in Ishaan’s study the night before, but that didn’t explain how or why he had ended up here, in this nice bedroom. Too nice for the likes of him.

Harry startled as a knock on the door rung throughout the room.

Harry quickly climbed down from the bed and made his way to the large door. Tugging it open with a great heave. It was apparently not as heavy as it looked, and its surprising feather-lightness almost sent him sprawling back across the room and onto the floor. He managed to catch himself just in time. His quick reactions and light feet barely saved him the embarrassment of falling onto his bottom in front of someone else.

Bharat stood outside the doorway with an expressionless face. But Harry swore he saw a twinkle of amusement briefly spark across his eyes.

“Good morning Mr Potter. My Lord requests you join him and Master Kamotsky for breakfast in the informal dining room.”

Harry didn’t speak, too shy as he felt his throat close with nerves. He simply nodded in reply.

“Very good. Please follow me then.” Bharat bowed slightly before swiftly turning on his feet and walking down the hall. Harry quickly hurried after him, trying to keep up with his steady stride.

“Umm,” Harry hesitated. He finally got the courage up to speak but was still unsure if Bharat would mind him asking a question.

Bharat hid an amused smile from the small child. His hesitation and general shyness was quite adorable. His lips quirked quickly upward before flattening back into his usual emotionless expression. “Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have Mr Potter.”

Relieved by the reassurance, Harry was quick to ask, “Did Ray and I stay the night here then? Is there a specific reason if we did?”

“You and Master Kamotsky did stay the night. As for your other question,” Bharat enunciated slowly. “I believe Mr Potter, that my Lord has come to a decision and has a proposition for you.”

“What is it?” Harry asked with badly concealed curiosity.

“That is for my Lord to let you know.”

“Oh.” Harry sighed in disappointment, hoping to glean some kind of idea of what he might be walking into from the butler.

“Fear not Mr Potter. It is not anything bad.” Bharat assured the child as they stopped outside yet another pair of doors. “I believe he simply wishes to ask you a question. There is nothing to worry about.”

Harry shot the butler a thankful if shaky smile before turning back to the waiting doors, presumably which the Maharaja and Ray were waiting behind. He gulped as he stared at the intimidating doorway, wondering just what exactly fate had in store for him this time.

For this certainly felt like a moment that would in some way impact his life. There was a certain feeling in the air. The way the magic of the palace sung around him. It felt more charged and eager than it had the day before and he was starting to think this might be why.

Taking a deep breath in, Harry opened the doors and slipped through.

Harry took a few nervous steps over to the dining table.

The table was long and made of a pretty mahogany wood. High-backed chairs were placed symmetrically along each side and one at either end. The room was flooded with sunlight from large windows overlooking the extravagant gardens.

Harry took a hesitant seat opposite Ray with Ishaan sitting at the head of the table. He was quick to help himself to the various options of breakfast food scattered across the table-top.

“Good morning Harry.”

Harry looked up startled, not quite expecting the greeting. “Good morning,” he offered quietly. He was still feeling somewhat shy around Ishaan, despite having spent the previous day getting to know him better and enjoying his company.

They ate in companionable silence after that, scattered throughout with little comments and easy conversation. It wasn’t until after breakfast that things took a more serious turn.

Once they had finished eating, Harry was ushered out of the dining room and into a small sitting room next door so the servants could clean up their dirty dishes and leftover food. He was pushed gently into a well-cushioned armchair that dwarfed him in size. With Ray and Ishaan each taking a seat on the sofa opposite. Harry suddenly felt very small with their full attention and piercing eyes on him.

Ray lacked his usual grin and his face looked much more severe without it. His eyes still glinted with mischief though which subconsciously put Harry at ease. Ishaan, however, just looked a confusing mix of serious and hopeful.

Ishaan leant towards Harry, resting his elbows on his knees and eyeing him with a furrowed brow. They sat staring at each other for several moments before he finally spoke.

“Harry, there is something important I want to ask you.”

Harry, startled, felt his eyes widening and slowly nodded as a sign for Ishaan to continue.

“Last night, whilst you were sleeping, Ray and I discussed a few things. Mainly what to do with you. What we both agreed on, was that there was no way we would be allowing you to return alone to the streets. Thus Harry, how would you feel about being adopted?”

Harry stared at him in shock. Adopted? By who?

The very idea made him shiver with nerves. With his luck, he would likely end up being adopted by people who treated him like the Dursleys. Or worse. He would never allow himself to be put into the situation again. He was also hesitant to give up his hard-earned freedom and independence. Being adopted and having adults in charge of his life again would rob him of that.

But at the same time….

A small part of him was intrigued by the notion. Having a family that would actually love him-Just like Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia loved Dudley-was appealing. Though perhaps not exactly like that. He didn’t want to end up a spoiled bully after all. He quite liked the idea of having people he could rely and depend on. Who would love him. The chance to actually experience what having a real family was like….

He wanted it.

Harry took a deep breathe before quietly murmuring, “I think I’d like that. The chance to be adopted and have a family. It sounds… nice.”

Ishaan breathed in a sigh of relief upon hearing Harry’s answer. He was afraid the boy would outright reject the idea of being adopted or having a family. He could hardly be blamed either, when all he had ever known was the obvious abuse and abandonment of people who were meant to care for him.

Now all he needed to do was somehow convince this adorable child to let him adopt him.

Ishaan took a deep breathe and tried to steady his hands which vibrated with nervous excitement. If this went well, by the end of the day he could have the son and child he’d always wanted.

“Harry,” Ishaan began tentatively. “The reason we brought this up is because we’ve found someone who wants to adopt you.”

A brief flash of fear crossed Harry’s face before it returned to its previous expressionless state. “Who?” He asked quietly. His refused to make eye contact and kept his eyes firmly locked on his feet as he waited for the answer.

Ishaan pushed forward despite his hesitation at seeing Harry’s reaction.

“Me.” He said succinctly. “I want to adopt you.”

Harry gawked flabbergasted. He couldn’t actually be serious, could he?

He wanted to adopt him?

Him! Harry! A freak like him?

There was no way that was possible!

Harry finally managed to get over his shock enough to choke out, “Do you actually mean that? You want to adopt me? Me!”

Ishaan stared at him with earnest eyes and quickly nodded. “Yes. I want to adopt you.”

Harry gaped at him again, his jaw dropped and pupils so big his eyes appeared more black than their usual green.

In a completely unforeseen reaction, Harry stayed staring at Ishaan before suddenly jumping off his chair and darting across the room. He threw himself at Ishaan, curling his arms tightly around the other man’s body and burying his face into his shirt.

Ishaan chuckled with happy tears glinting in his eyes. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.” He smiled down at Harry’s curls, his face still hidden from view.

Harry nodded his head, still buried in Ishaan’s chest.

“Congratulations!” Ray whooped, making the other two jump when they remembered he was there in the room with them.

Harry finally dragged himself away from clinging to Ishaan and sat, instead, on the sofa next to him. He stayed close though, not wanting to let Ishaan to far out of his reach in case he changed his mind.

“When will you do the ritual?” Ray asked eagerly. He couldn’t stop himself from grinning, blindingly happy for his friend and the little naga he was coming to adore.

“What ritual?” Harry asked.

Ray and Ishaan exchanged a quick glance.

“It’s just a small bit of magic we need to do to make the adoption official,” Ishaan carefully explained. “Magical adoptions are… different from muggle ones. Adopting you would mean I would do it through paperwork, magic and… blood.”

“But what would that do exactly?” Harry questioned, feeling very confused.

“Essentially Kid, it would make you his son biologically. As though he were you actual birth father. Think of it like having three biological parents rather than the standard two.” Ray said nonchalantly, summing it all up in a way Harry could easily understand.

Ishaan winced at the directness of the statement. He was afraid of how Harry would react. He really hoped this wouldn’t cause Harry to change his mind.

Harry stared in shocked awe. A magical adoption would mean he’d have a living parent? One who he would actually be bound to by blood?

“You’d be my real father then?” He asked very quietly, afraid of the answer and steeling himself to feel the sting of rejection.

“Yes,” Ishaan admitted, earnest eyes once more on Harry. “And there is nothing I want more in the world.”

Harry hugged him again. Even tighter than before. And this time he refused to let go.

“I guess that’s that then,” Ray laughed. “So,  you got a ritual room?”

“Why?” Ishaan asked curiously but also cautious. Ray liked to get into all sorts of trouble, so it was always better to make sure you knew exactly what he was intending to do before agreeing to anything. It was safer for everyone that way.

Ray burst into a blinding grin. “Well, we might as well just do it now. Don’t ya think? Besides I’ve always wanted to see this palace’s ritual room. It’s supposed to be massive and I bet, overly ostentatious.”

Ishaan just sighed.