Healing, Hugs, and Hunts

Dursley Trial: During Harry's Resting Period

"I don't know if it is a good idea to do this without Harry here. He is the one that suffered the most after all," Lily said quietly as they were led into the courtroom. Draco scoffed and gave his bearer a look as if she was crazy.

"It is much better that he isn't here. Do you realize how traumatizing this would be for him if he had to be here to listen to the kind of things that are likely to be brought up?" Draco insisted. Sol squeezed his hand that she was holding and Arashi wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"That is a very good point, Draco. It is actually much better that Harry isn't here. We will just have to make sure that justice is served for him," Alice replied and patted Neville on the shoulder where he walked next to her.

They were all led to a row of seats where they sat with the Evanson Circle that had beaten them there. They sat there and quietly talked to each other for about ten minutes before Jun, Briar, Lucius, and Lily were called to the front to stand as family for both Harry, Petunia, and Dudley. This was going to be a bit touchy for all of them. The Dursleys were all brought in and the trial began.

Every piece of evidence was presented to the courts and Harry's healer report was presented to show the extent of the damage that had been done to him and at which age it had started. It was truly appalling how badly these people had treated a child under their care. Draco was so angry that Sol had literally had to hold him in her arms so that he would not charge the platform to hurt the Dursleys himself.

When it was all said and done, Petunia and Vernon had been sentenced to ten years in Nevarah's prison. But a curse was added at the insistence of Lucius. This curse would make them feel every moment of starvation over and over again but ten times worse. No matter how much they ate, they would never feel full. They were made to feel every beating or illness that Harry suffered through. Once again over and over again and ten times worse than the original wound. In their cells, they would only have a small cot, a bucket to defecate in, and no window or light. Just as if they were locked in a cupboard.

After their ten years were up, they would be charmed so that they could never mention, write, or otherwise reveal anything about Nevarah, magic, or creatures to anyone and then sent back to Earth to live out the rest of their lives. Draco and the rest of the family was quite happy with the results of that and no one opposed it, including Jun and Briar.

Dudley was a different story. They didn't get a chance to announce his punishment before Lily stood and begged the courts for mercy to be shown to her Nephew. Draco was shocked and appalled. How could their mother stand there and beg for mercy for a boy who had happily tortured her son for years? A boy who, with the help of his gang, beat said son nearly to death and then left him in a dirty alley instead of getting him help. He was even more hurt when Jun and Briar backed her up and even offered to let Dudley stay in their home.

They wanted to give him therapy, try to reverse the hate his parents had instilled in him. They wanted to take his suppressions off of his magic so that he could learn how to use it properly. Draco hated Lily, Jun, and Briar in that moment.

"I want to go home," Draco told Sol. He turned and looked at her. "Like right now. I don't want to be part of this. This is a betrayal and what they are doing is going to hurt my brother really badly." Sol kissed the side of his head and nuzzled him to calm him down.

"Severus and I are leaving as well," Laurent snapped and the two men stood up and followed Draco and his circle from the courthouse. Lucius watched them go and knew that there was about to be a lot of issues because of what Lily had just done. She had not spoken to him about this beforehand. He did not know she had planned on doing this. He shot a glare at Jun and Briar as well. They knew the whole story of what that boy had done to Harry. He couldn't believe they were backing Lily up about this. Harry was not going to take kindly to any of them after this.

Lucius would make sure that Lily knew that he would choose his son over her if it came down to it. He would not risk his relationship with his son over this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry after Resting Period

Harry was having a rare moment where he wanted to be alone, he needed time to think. He had learned that while they were on his resting period, the Dursleys had stood trial with his parents, grandparents, and Draco's circle as witnesses. Vernon and Petunia had been found guilty, of course, and been sentenced to ten years in the Dragel cells under the courthouse. Harry had been happy to hear about the curse his father had suggested they be put under. After they served their sentence they would be dropped back on Earth and left to rot for all any of them cared.

Jun, Briar, and Lily had petitioned the court to take in Dudley. They wanted to have the suppressions taken off of him so that he could learn to use his magic and have him see a mind healer two or three times a week so that they could help recondition his mind away from the hate that his parents had instilled in him from birth. He would be staying with Jun's circle. If he proved to make no progress after two years he would join his parents in prison to finish out their sentence and then join them on Earth.

Harry didn't know how he felt about seeing Dudley. He didn't know if he would be able to. Dudley had killed him. Killed him!!!! For fun, with his friends. The only reason that he was alive was because Lady Death had saved him. He didn't know how to feel about his grandparents and mom vouching for him. He didn't know how he felt about any of it.

There was a nudge against his shoulder and Harry reached up to pet Beauty. The Thestral had been released on their island after they had arrived and Harry had come out to visit with him as often as he could, which wasn't very often due to the business of settling in and all that. Hedwig and Fawkes were flying over their heads and Bubble was twining around his fingers.

"Harry," He didn't lift his head to acknowledge that he heard anything. His emotions were just chaotic right now. He knew why Bill was here. He hadn't eaten anything yet today and it was getting close to dinner time. He had been out in the woods of their island since before breakfast when he had been told what had happened. He felt Bill settle beside him and allowed his Alpha to pull him into his arms.

"Harry, I need you to talk to me," Bill said softly. "We can work through what you're feeling. I need you to talk to me about it. Everyone is really concerned about you, Love." The Alpha rubbed soothing circles on his back and then waited to give Harry time to talk if he was going to.

"Alpha, I .... I don't .... I don't think I am okay with what they settled on with Dudley," Harry said quietly. He finally figured out how he was feeling. He was hurt, and afraid, but most of all he felt incredibly betrayed. "How could they vouch for him? How could they decide that he was safe enough to let into their homes? Bill, he.. he... I died. He killed me. I am only here because Lady Death saved me." Harry said so quietly that Bill almost didn't hear him. Bill just pulled him in tighter. He hadn't been happy with what had happened either. Then Harry was sobbing into his chest.

"I know, Love. I know this doesn't feel like justice. We will work it all out together. We will make sure that you are never around him and that you never even hear his name. He will never be able to hurt you again and if he tries, we will kill him," Bill swore. Harry just nodded and stayed wrapped in Bill's arms. He didn't know how long the two of them sat there in the forest with Harry's familiars and pets around them before someone came for them.

~~~~~~~

"Alpha," Kisten said quietly. Harry was sleeping in Bill's arms and the Alpha didn't want to move just yet to let him rest. He inclined his head to the Gheyo to let him know he was listening.

"The other little troublemaker apparently eavesdropped on your conversation earlier. He came back to the house almost breathing fire, he was so angry. He sent a message and summoned their family circle here. They just arrived. Draco tore into them the moment they were settled in the sitting room," Kisten reported. Bill sighed and looked down to see that Harry was awake again.

"Are you up to seeing them?" Bill asked. He would not force Harry to confront his parents right now. He was a bit annoyed because he was pretty sure he was about thirty minutes away from convincing his little Submissive to eat something. All of that work was gone now no matter what Harry decided to do. Harry took a deep breath and then he nodded slowly. Bill kissed him gently. "So brave, Darling." Then Kisten helped him stand with Harry still in his arms. They headed for the house.

When they entered the room Lily stood to come to him but Harry shook his head and turned his face into Bill's neck. He heard his Mera inhale sharply and he felt bad for hurting her but he just couldn't stand it right now. His feelings were too raw and she was part of the reason.

"Harry, Darling, Please," She said quietly. Harry heard Draco scoff.

"He has every right to be hurt by what you all decided. I don't care if that awful boy is family. Do you understand? He killed my brother. So whether or not he is your nephew and you feel bad doesn't really matter to us. Harry is alive because a deity chose to breathe life back into him. We would have never known him. We would have never come back together. You, James, Alice, and Frank would still be in an endless sleep with Dumbledore stealing your magic," Draco was so mad he was nearly yelling.

"Draco, I think that is quite enough now," Sol stated sternly. "I completely agree with you about all of it. But you are working yourself up and it is making your brother react badly. Look," Sol pointed to Harry who was nearly trembling in Bill's arms now. Draco took a deep breath and glared hard at his parents.

"I don't know how many of you agreed with Lily's decision to let that murderer get away with what he did to my brother. But until something is done about it we don't want her, Jun, Briar, or anyone else who agrees with them in our home. Do you understand? I won't let anyone hurt my brother ever again. I swore it. I will stand by it. Even if it is against all of you." With that said he walked over to Harry.

"Come, Brother, let's go have a good cuddle. I think we both need it," Harry nodded and kept his head down as he let Draco gently guide him out of the room. Draco pulled Harry into a smaller sitting room that the two of them had claimed when they first moved in. It had no furniture, just really fluffy carpet and a shit ton of blankets and pillows in a large nest in front of the fireplace. Draco lit the fire and then the two of them let out their wings, crawled into the nest, and curled up together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the main sitting room, no one else had moved since the twins had left the room.

"Are you really banning us from here?" James demanded. He didn't understand how his sons could not see why Lily and Jun were trying to save Dudley. They needed this. They had lost too much already.

"Yes," Bill and Sol stated together.

"If you don't understand why your decision to let that horrible boy free, would hurt them then you are not the parents that you should be. I don't care if he is your nephew. Harry is your son. That boy murdered your son because it was fun. He and his friends called it "Harry Hunting". Did you know that? It was his favorite game to play," Bill told them calmly. He was not calm at all though.

"Do the courts even know about this?" Ethan asked finally.

"Yes," Lucius spoke up. He had not been happy with this choice. He and Lily had and were still fighting about it. Only James, Frank, and Alice had supported her. But she had spoken up in the courtroom without talking to any of them first. She had apparently discussed it with Jun though and they had decided to try and fight for it.

"Then how in the world did they agree to this?" Perry asked. He was shocked. Most of them were.

"It is kind of hard to fight something when the parent and grandparents of the victim are the ones asking for it," Severus stated coldly.

"What of Luna and Neville? How do they feel about it?" Theo asked. Lily looked guilty and heartbroken.

"They have asked to move out," Lily said quietly.

"Good. It will be good for Harry to know that at least his siblings have his back. They are welcome here," Bill said.

"How do you feel now, knowing that standing up to save that murderer has cost you all of your children? And from the fact that your Merrow is missing, it looks like it may have cost you at least one mate as well," Theo said.

"I think it is time for you to go now. This situation has caused my Submissive to slip in his progress. He has touched no food today, not even a snack. I have been able to convince him to eat nothing. Severus, you may bring Neville and Luna here. Harry will need them," Bill stated with a hard tone.

"The rest of you are no longer welcome here until you have proven that Harry is more important than whatever sick loyalty you feel for your son's tormentor," Hadrian said. "Please, pass the message on the the Evanson Circle as well. They have lost themselves four grandchildren to save one."

Lily looked so upset and moved to argue but Lucius grabbed her arm and gave her a hard look.

"You have caused enough hurt in this home. It is time to go. We will make this right or Laurent will not be the only mate that is missing from your bed, Lillian," Lucius stated coldly. Then he released her arm and turned to leave. James wrapped an arm around a sobbing Lily and then they were leaving.

"I don't want anything lost in translation, I will send a message to Juniper to let her know that she and her circle are no longer allowed in our home or around Harry. I will let them know why. Make sure they understand exactly how bad the situation is and how serious we are about this. If they choose to keep that boy in their home we will sever our ties with them," Bill stated. Then he turned to Glynn.

"Please, get a message to Laurent. Let him know that if he is avoiding home because of this he is welcome here. That Harry needs all of the parental support that he can get," Bill asked. Glynn nodded.

"It will be done, Alpha," The Merrow Ace stated and then walked out of the room with Alec right behind him.

"Ethan, please make sure two rooms are ready for Neville and Luna. They may not use them but make sure they are ready just in case. Harry may end up staying in his nest with Draco and the others," Theo asked calmly.

"Of course, we will take care of it," Ethan said and then he left the room followed by Fred and George.

What are we going to do about food?

Quinn asked the angry Alpha carefully.

He needs to eat something. I would be satisfied at least if we could get him to take blood

"We will figure something out. I want to give him time to settle from this as much as he can. If Laurent comes I will see if I can get him to take blood from him. I will also see if he will let Severus in there to feed from. I think right now he might respond best to a parent," Bill said sadly. Then he left the room to send his message to the Evanson Alpha.

Harry had been so happy and rested. He had gone to sleep last night after waking up refreshed from his resting period. He was excited about Hunt preparations. He hadn't even seen any of his Pareya today, they had still been asleep when Harry had secluded himself outside. They had only woken up around lunchtime. Bill hated that this had happened. He didn't understand what Lily and Jun were thinking. Nephew or Grandson or not, the boy had literally taken Harry's life. Had he been anyone else he would be dead right now. He really hoped they pulled their heads out of their asses and fast. Harry had suffered enough. He deserved to be happy.

~~~~~~~~

Harry and Draco were resting and talking quietly to each other when the door to their little nest room was slowly cracked open. Draco lifted his head to see who had come into the room when he saw Laurent and Severus standing in the doorway. He growled lowly when they stepped forward.

"What do you want?" Draco demanded. "If you are here to try and justify what they did then you can leave right now. He has been through enough today."

"We aren't here for that, Drake. There is no justification for what they did. I left as soon as we arrived home from the trial and Severus decided to leave before they came here earlier. He brought Neville and Luna with him. They are both moving in here. And so are we if the two of you will allow it," Laurent said calmly. Harry sniffled and lifted his head up to look at them. Laurent and Severus just wanted to pull him into their arms.

He looked so wrung out. Eyes puffy, lips chapped and cracked from being bitten, tear track stains on his cheeks, and such a lost look in his eyes. He looked so much younger than his sixteen years. He looked so hurt and betrayed.

"You chose me?" Harry said in a small broken voice. "You don't agree with Lily?" Harry hadn't thought of her as mum since he realized what she had done.

"No, Darling, we don't agree with Lily. Can we come in? We want to hold you, Son. Help you settle, maybe eat a bit," Severus soothed and cooed at him. Harry sniffled again then he was up and in the Pareya's arms crying all over again. Severus just held him tightly and rumbled soothingly to him. Draco walked into Laurent's arms and squeezed.

"Thank you for choosing, Harry," Was all he said as they let Harry cry out his relief that at least two of his parents had chosen him.

"We aren't the only ones who chose you, Love. The others are just trying to talk so sense into Lily," Severus said after Harry had calmed down.

"Really?" Harry asked. Severus nodded. He gently extracted himself from Harry and nudged him to Laurent.

"I heard that you are understandably having a Bad Day?" Severus asked and Harry nodded. "If I go and get some light foods will you try to eat for me, Darling?" Harry nodded again and let Draco and Laurent fuss over him.

"Can your brother and sister come in? They are really worried about you," Laurent asked.

"Please," Harry said with a grateful sigh. Severus nodded and stepped out of the room. Harry heard him chuckle and then stepped back into the room and let Neville and Luna come in. They both had trays of light foods and drinks in their hands.

"Lunagirl strikes again," Draco said fondly. Then the six of them sat on the floor with the trays in the middle and Harry ate enough to satisfy his family. He was so happy to know that he was loved and that they had chosen him.

"Your Quinn says that you should take blood also. He thinks it will help settle you and level out your emotions," Neville said after they had all finished snacking.

"Ok," Harry said and then crawled into Severus' lap when he opened his arms for him. The others continued to talk quietly as Harry fed and then he lazily licked the wound closed and was drifting off to sleep.

"Harry, do you want to stay in here or do you want one of your bonded?" Draco asked. He was prepared to stay locked away in this room with his brother for as long as he wanted. Harry shook his head no.

"Want Bill," Harry said sleepily.

"I will go get him for you," Draco said and jumped up to find his brother's Alpha. He found him lying in a bed fully clothed two rooms down with Theo. The two of them were just lying there and clearly just waiting to be called to Harry.

"Bill, Harry is asking for you," Draco said as he stepped into the room. Bill and Theo both sat up quickly. "Just so that you know we got him to eat a good amount of the snacks and he took blood from Sev." Bill and Theo both physically relaxed. "Now go get him. He is tired and he wants you." Bill nodded and then was up in a moment. Theo was right behind him. They strode into the room and Bill knelt down next to where Severus was still cuddling him close. Bill ran his fingers through Harry's hair and then gently down his cheek until he fluttered his eyes open.

"Bill," Harry said with a smile and softly chirred at the Alpha.

"Hello, Trouble," Bill said gently. Harry reached for him and Bill pulled him up and into his arms. Harry wrapped arms and legs around him and nuzzled his neck.

"Want to sleep in a room with just you, Theo, and Caelus tonight, please, Alpha," Harry said softly.

"Of course, Trouble. Theo will grab Caelus and the four of us will sleep alone tonight," Bill agreed. Harry chirred happily and pressed a soft kiss to his mark on Bill's neck.

"Thank you, Bill," Harry said sleepily.

"We are going to retire to bed now. Thank you for coming and thank you for getting him to eat. You are all welcome to stay here as long as you want or need," Bill said sincerely, and then he left the room and headed to a room down the hall from their resting room. As they passed the room Ethan was standing in the doorway and did a quick swapping spell to put them in pajamas. Bill nodded gratefully and entered the room he had been heading for. Theo and Caelus were already there waiting.

"Let's get some sleep now, Love," Bill said and moved to gently lay Harry in the center of the bed. Harry looked up at him and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"I love you, Bill," Harry said sleepily and then was sound asleep before his head was properly on the pillow. Bill laid down next to him and Theo laid down on the other side of Bill while Caelus took the other side of Harry. He had been surprised and happy to be included in their private cuddle. He knew that Theo and Bill had been courting Harry for over a year and that the three of them had a close solid bond. He had not expected to be called as well. But he would never complain.

The three of them held Harry through the night and when he woke sobbing from nightmares they gently and lovingly soothed him back to sleep. There would be serious consequences for hurting Harry this way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, the day before The Hunt officially started, was a quiet one. Harry sat next to Hadrian at breakfast with Laurent on his other side. Bill had refused to look at any messages that may have come from Harry's parents or grandparents so that they could have a pleasant morning and eat breakfast before diving back in. Not that there was much to discuss.

"What is everyone's plan for today?" Ethan asked after everyone had finished eating. "The Hunt starts tomorrow has any of our plans for that changed?"

"Not really. We will explore and enjoy the first week. Let Harry get comfortable in the pits and start maybe checking out people that he would like to possibly court. Then on Friday, we walk," Bill answered. Harry nodded.

"What about Neville and Luna?" Harry asked. "Are they walking with us now? How does that work?"

"They are perfectly welcome to walk with us if that is what they want to do. They can be introduced after us as individuals. It would be better however if at least Luna was introduced by an established circle. She is hunting this season and it would be good for her to be sponsored, so to speak," Ethan said. "Did your parents already find a circle to do that for you?"

"No, I was just going to walk after them," Luna answered.

"There isn't anything wrong with that and it is actually a very normal practice. However, your parents are not an established or well-known circle and it would benefit you to be introduced by someone with connections," Ethan explained. "It won't matter so much with Neville because he isn't hunting, but you will want every opportunity that you can to get you started."

"What if I ask Bahn about letting her be sponsored by them?" Theo spoke up. "She could walk after them. They are an established circle and well respected."

"What do you two think?" Harry asked. Severus and Laurent were their parents after all and had a right to be included in the conversation.

"Your Pareya is right, Harry. Being introduced or sponsored by a more connected circle would be beneficial for Lunagirl," Laurent answered and Severus agreed.

"It would be a good thing even if our circle gets it together before then," Severus added.

"I will go and visit Ilsa and Bahn and see what they think about it," Theo said. "Just let me know if any other plans change." He leaned down and kissed Harry and then was getting ready to walk out of the room when Enlil and Aither stood up as well.

"We will go with you, Theodore," Enlil stated and Theo nodded. He knew that the Aces in the house didn't really want anyone going anywhere without a Gheyo escort if at all possible. They had royal and blood title connections and if someone was feeling stupid they may try to do something.

"Of course, I will be happy for the company," Theo smiled at them. The Air Prince and Princess each kissed Harry as well and then followed the Beta to the transportation room.

"OK so I have to check in with my brother and see what is going on and if there is anything last minute that needs to be handled before The Hunt officially starts. I will be back later to check in," Laurent said. He kissed and hugged all four children and then waited. He knew that he wouldn't be leaving the house alone either. Harry's Gheyo seemed to be incredibly serious about escorts and he was sure that would extend to him.

"We will accompany your father. We have things to attend to as well," Glynn said as he stood with Alec, Marin, and Chelan. "We aren't allowed above ground right now anyways."

"Try not to get into any trouble while we are gone," Alec smirked and kissed Harry quite soundly before heading over to Laurent. Not to be outdone the other three Merrow also snogged the life out of him before leaving. Harry was breathless and a bit riled up by the time they were done and heading down to the lower levels to get to the water. Caelus laughed and pulled Harry down into his lap.

"I am going to head home and see what is going on there. Do either of you want to go or need anything from the house while I am gone?" Severus asked Luna and Neville. They both shook their head no and Severus said his goodbyes to all four of his kids and then left as well. He was going to see if Lucius, Sirius, and Remus had managed to talk some sense into the others.

"I have a few orders to finish up at work so I will need to be gone for a bit today. Hopefully, I will be back sometime around lunch," Donovan stated. He also took pleasure in snogging the life out of Harry. If they didn't chill out Harry was dragging someone into a private room to help him work off this problem growing in his pants.

Peryton also needed to go for a bit today and he was accompanied by Adad and Styrmir. A few of Draco's bonded had a few things to check in on and take care of before tomorrow as well and then Draco dragged Luna off to somewhere in the house to talk to her about her outfits and stuff for The Hunt and Bill took Neville with him for a few hours to do a few Alpha things. Brishen went with them.

"Hey, Kitten," Harry looked up at Wikhn and Kisten. They both smirked down at him and he flushed prettily. "Let's go play." Harry nodded and Caelus kissed him before handing him over to the Gheyo. The two of them took him up to the Gheyo floor and were quite happy to help Harry with his problem. Harry was quite satisfied and in a much better mood when he came back downstairs an hour and a half later.

He plopped himself down in Mistral's lap and was happy for the cuddle with his Pareya. He hadn't really spent any time with them since their Realignment. Oliver came in with a snack tray a little bit later and Harry happily ate the offered snacks and then settled between the two of them.

"How are you feeling, Little Seeker?" Oliver finally asked. Harry sighed and looked up at him.

"Not so raw anymore. Yesterday was bad. Today I am more in control of myself but I still feel the same about it. What they did is wrong, Dudley should not be allowed to escape the punishment that he deserves. I grew up with terrible parents and I would never treat someone that way. It isn't an excuse. I know a lot of kids who grew up in abusive homes that didn't try to kill someone. Dudley is a bad person. I know that he wasn't under any kind of compulsions or spells to make him act out. He did all of that on his own and made the choice to torment me my whole life. He chose to beat me so badly that I died. It isn't excusable. I don't feel safe knowing that he isn't locked up anymore," Harry told his Pareya honestly.

"We will keep you safe, Kitten. He will never get anywhere near you," Hadrian said from the doorway into the room. Harry looked up at his Shadow Ace and smiled. Hadrian came into the room and knelt in front of Harry. "I swear to you that he will never get the opportunity to get even close enough for you to smell him. We will protect you. All of us." The Ace looked Harry in the eyes the entire time. He wanted him to know how serious he was. Harry smiled again and let himself be pulled into the Ace's arms.

"Thank you, Hadrian. Thank you so much," Harry told him and held him tightly. Hadrian nuzzled him and just knelt there holding Harry until he was ready to let go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Evanson-Malfoy Triad: Evanson Home

Lucius watched in satisfaction as Lily stared in horror at her nephew. The awful boy had done nothing but cause problems in the Evanson home since he had been released to them. They were watching now as the almost seventeen-year-old laughed gleefully after breaking some priceless things in the room. He was throwing a tantrum. Jun finally took the boy by the ear angrily and pulled him out of the room and into a sitting room. Lily and the others followed.

"Dudley, we would like to talk to you," Lily said calmly. Dudley sneered at her and spit.

"I have nothing to say to you, Freak," Dudley said with such hatefulness that Lily was taken aback. She didn't understand how the boy could be so hateful.

"This is very important, Boy. If you don't listen you could end up right back in prison with your parents. We are trying to help you," Jun stated. Dudley just scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Lock me back up. I don't need help from Freaks. I'd rather rot in prison with normal people than live with you Freaky lot," Dudley said seriously.

"You can't possibly mean that," Lily said sadly. She had to make this work. She had to prove that he was a good boy under all of that hate. She had probably irreparably ruined her relationship with her son because of this. Dudley laughed meanly.

"Of course I mean it. Where is Harry, by the way? I haven't gotten the chance to beat his ass recently and I know that this entire situation is his fault. I owe the fagot one hell of a beat down for this," Dudley said with a sinister smile. He looked up still smirking when he heard growls around the room. "You don't scare me. When I get out of here, and I will get out of here, I am going to hunt that little fagot freak down and finish what I started when he was fourteen. I only wish I had succeeded in killing him that day." Lily and Jun both gasped and stared at the boy in horror.

"You know that you almost killed him?" Jun demanded. They had been hoping that it was an unfortunate accident. That the boy felt bad for what he had done.

"Oh yeah, Piers and I were trying to kill him. Being a Freak with Magic was bad enough but then he turned out to be a faggot too and that was more than we could handle. I wasn't going to sleep in a house with a freak that might decide to try and take advantage of me with his freak magic," Dudley said with an exaggerated shudder.

"Have you heard enough yet, Lily?" Lucius demanded. He was furious and it was taking every bit of control he had not to rip that boy apart with his teeth. Remus had to take Sirius out of the room. Frank, Alice, and James looked sick at having agreed with Lily about giving the boy a second chance. Lily was sobbing again.

"I agreed to this for you Lily," Jun said quietly. "I just wanted to make you happy and I should have stuck with my gut about this. I am sorry Lily but this boy can not stay in my home. He is a danger to my children and circle. I won't lose Neville, Draco, Harry, and Luna over this one horrible boy. You can take him home with you." Lucius sneered and shook his head.

"If you agree to bring that, boy into our home I am leaving. I have a feeling I won't be the only one to leave either," Lucius told his Submissive.

"I don't need any of you freaks to take me in. I don't want to be around all of your freakishness. Send me home," Dudley demanded. Jun looked at Lily who shook her head no.

"You will be going back to your cell. That is the only place that you will be going," Jun stated. "And just for good measure, you are going to be disowned and taken off of any family tree records. I want nothing to do with you." Dudley just scoffed and shrugged.

"Fine by me. I didn't want to be part of your family anyway. Like I said before, being in my cell is preferable to being in this home with one of you. At least there I only have to see a freak when they feed me," Dudley answered.

Briar and Rian came in with a letter written out and handed it to Jun. She read it over and signed it. They had already written up the letter to have him returned to his cell and why. Lily was also made to sign it since she had also agreed to be one of his caregivers. Dudley was pulled up and bound before being escorted out by Jun's Gheyo. They would take him back to the courthouse and have him locked back up.

"Now it is time to fix our family before it gets worse," Jun said standing up. Briar and Rian stood up as well. Lucius nodded and then went to grab Sirius and Remus. They ported away and straight to Harry and Draco's home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry and Co.: Home

Harry was sitting and laughing as he played Exploding Snap with Theo, Draco, Neville, Fred, George, Blaise, and Luna. It felt like it had been a really long time since the group of them had spent time together just doing nothing. The only people who were missing were Hermione, Ginny, and Ron. Theo had promised to send messages to them to see if they could come sometime next week and hang out with them.

They felt the wards let them know that someone had arrived and before any of them could move Bill poked his head into the sitting room.

"I got it. Just keep playing. If any of you are needed someone will come and get you," The Alpha said with a smile and then strode away. He was met on the way by a few of their Gheyo as well as Sol and Viktor. Severus was waiting just out the front door for them. He felt his mates.

"It is Lucius and the others. I am assuming they chose this port area because they are unsure of their welcome to port into the house," Severus told his son's Alphas.

"That was a smart choice. If they had ported into the house and caused Harry or Draco distress it would not have gone over well," Sol stated and Bill and Viktor nodded. Family or not. They wouldn't allow anyone to distress their Submissives. This was their home and their safe place and it always would be. They made it to the bridge that led onto their property from the land.

Lucius was standing there looking smug. Lily and Jun looked guilty and the others had looks between smug and guilty. Bill sincerely hoped that meant they learned their lesson.

"What can we do for you?" Bill asked calmly. No need to start the conversation off on a bad note. He didn't know why they were here after all. Lucius stepped forward with Remus and Sirius.

"We are here to let our children know that the problem has been handled. Lily and Jun as well as those that supported her are here to apologize and beg for forgiveness. They were wrong and now they understand just how wrong they were. The rest of us are here to simply see our children and let them know that we were always on Harry's side. He was not abandoned or unwanted. If you will allow it," Lucius stated firmly.

"And what of the murderer?" Viktor asked in his thick accent. Draco's circle cared for Harry as much as if he were their brother as well.

"Back in a cell, where he belongs," Sirius snarled. Remus placed a gentle hand on his arm and Sirius took a deep breath. He had not handled this situation very well at all. This decision had almost torn apart the circle they had only just managed to put back together. Harry had been hurt and he had hated every minute of it. He was so disappointed in Lily and James as well as Frank and Alice. He had expected better.

"Good. Then you may come in and attempt to make things right with Harry and the others," Bill said after nods from the others. It wasn't just his decision to make after all. He and the others turned and headed back for the house. He had seen Hadrian leave earlier. he was sure that the Shadow Ace was going to prepare the others that they were coming.

He had been right of course. Hadrian was sitting in the room with Harry snug in his lap. The entirety of the rest of the two circles that were home were also spread around the room sitting or standing. Draco was not sitting, he was standing very close to the door and stood in his family's way when they made to come closer.

"If you are not here to offer apologies and beg forgiveness then you might as well turn around now. I will not have you upsetting us all over again. We are having a great day after the disaster of yesterday don't ruin it," Draco snapped. Lucius smiled at his fiercely protective son and gently cupped his cheek. Draco leaned into the touch.

"We are not here to upset any of you, Dear One. Those that caused this have finally come to their senses. They are here to do exactly what you demand. The rest of us are here to give some long-overdue cuddles. Is that acceptable?" Lucius asked Draco. He looked back at Harry, Neville, and Luna who all nodded that it was fine. So Draco stepped out of the way with a sigh and was happy to let his Beta pull him into his arms.

Lucius, Remus, Rian, Xeno, Narcissa, and Sirius took seats near their children while Lily, Jun, Briar, James, and the others took the empty seats across from them.

"I would like to start by saying that Lucius, Sirius, Remus, Xeno, Narcissa, and Rian were always against this choice. As well as Severus and Laurent obviously. They never turned their back on you and they never agreed with allowing Dudley out. Do you understand? They always put you first through the entire situation," Lily stated firmly. She wanted her children to know that not all of their parents were failures.

Harry looked like he was ready to cry. Those that he had known the most and had grown the closest to had always chosen him. They hadn't wanted Dudley free. He patted Hadrian's arm and nuzzled him before getting up and going straight into Lucius' arms. He sighed and just melted into the hug. Remus and Sirius both reached out and rubbed fingers through his hair or rubbed circles on his back. Luna had already gone to Narcissa when she had sat down and Neville was sitting quietly in between Xeno and Narcissa.

"Thank you," Harry whispered. Lucius just held him tighter for a moment before pulling him back so that he could look into his face. He wiped his eyes and smiled at him.

"I made a promise when I first found you again that I would never let you down. You and your siblings are more important to me than anyone or anything in the entire world. I will always choose the four of you. Over and over again no matter the situation. Never doubt that, Love," Lucius told his boy. Harry nodded and smiled. Then he was happy to cuddle into Sirius' lap to let Lily continue.

"I should have never done this to any of you. I almost destroyed our family for nothing. I had just hoped that maybe he was a good boy and that he had just behaved that way because he thought he had to. I just wanted to give him a chance away from Vernon and Petunia to have a better life. I admit that I did not think at all about how you would feel about it. I was selfish and I was wrong," Lily said with tears streaming down her face. Harry just nodded.

"We are guilty as well. We haven't been around to witness the actual devastation that you suffered at the hands of those who have hurt you. Hearing it in stories, it is easy to assume that things have been exaggerated. I did not honestly believe that the boy had killed you. Lucius proved otherwise when he handed us your first scans from the goblins. He also showed us the memories that you had submitted to convict them. We understand better now why you feel as strongly as you do about this," James told Harry.

"We also were subjected to that awful boy in our home for a few days. He is not a good boy from a bad situation. He is a rotten apple that rots everything he touches. He is a horrible nasty boy and he scared my other children," Briar spit out.

"I am glad that you all understand why I feel the way I do about it. Dudley has never shown me kindness. He and his little rabid pack of friends have treated a lot of people the way they treated me. I was not the only one. Two and a half years ago a girl from our school spilled milk on Dudley by accident and the next day she didn't show up for school. Dudley and his friends looked smug and proud like they had done something. They found that girl's body in a ditch a week later. She had been raped and beaten to death. I am not Dudley's only target. It isn't just a hate in me that his parents encouraged. Dudley is a psychopath," Harry told them. He had started trembling and Sirius held him tighter and let him bury his face in his neck.

"You never told any of us that," Lucius said gently. "I would have insisted that he was locked away right that moment if I had known that you were not the only one in danger from him."

"I am sorry," Harry said. "I have tried to tell people before but no one has ever believed me."

"I know, Son. But we have always believed you. Haven't we?" Lucius asked. Harry nodded.

"Yes, Papa," Harry said. "I should have told you. I promise not to keep stuff from you again."

"Good boy, Love," Lucius said and kissed his head.

"I am sorry, Harry," Lily said again. "Please forgive us for not standing with you."

"Thank you for your apology and for making things right by putting him back in a cell," Harry stated. "But I am not ready just yet to forgive. This situation has truly messed with me in a bad way. There was still a lot of trauma that I guess I had not dealt with. I need time to move past this. Please understand." Lily nodded as did the others. This was a bad situation and the only way to move on from it was to give Harry time and to show him without a doubt that they were there for him.

"We will show what you mean to us, Harry. I swear we will fix this with you," Lily promised. Harry nodded. "The six of us will go and let you spend some time with the others for a bit."

"OK," Harry said quietly. He wasn't going to ask them to stay. He would relax more if they were gone for now so that he could spend time with the others.

"We love you, Harry. We love all of you. Even if you don't feel like it right now," Lily said, and then they all got up to leave. Rian went with them but only after hugging and kissing each of his grandchildren before he left. Harry and his siblings were left alone with their parents to spend time together without anyone else around. A few hours later everyone was calm and happy. Harry felt more settled than he had since yesterday. Laurent had shown up and joined them. They had dinner with them and then made the choice to go home. Neville and Luna went with them.

"How do you feel, Trouble?" Bill asked as they cuddled together after everyone left. Harry smiled up at him.

"I feel much better now. Especially since I know that Dudley is locked away again and that most of my parents agreed with me about him being locked away," Harry told him.

"That is good, Trouble. I am glad to hear it. I was worried about you. We all were," Bill told him. Harry blushed and kissed his Alpha.

"Thank you, Bill. I love you so much," Harry told the Alpha with a blush. Bill smiled brightly and held him closer.

"I love you too, Harry," Bill told him and then he stood up. "It is time for bed, Trouble. The Hunt starts tomorrow and you need all the rest that you can get."

"Sound like a great idea, Alpha," Harry said.

"Resting room with everyone or a private room again?" Bill asked.

"Resting room, please. I want to be with all of you," Harry said. Then squealed happily as Bill tossed him into the middle of the bed where his other bonded were all waiting. Quinn and Charlie wrapped around him from both sides and Harry was asleep in minutes cuddled up with his circle. Tomorrow was going to be so exciting. Harry couldn't wait.