Chapter 6
Harry fell asleep on the floor thinking about Tom, but was awoken just 30 minutes later by a heavy weight dropping on his stomach. “Oof! Wha-” As he looked down he saw Noir resting his head in the middle of his stomach. Harry smiled and hugged Noir close to his chest. “How did you get here you little rascal?”
One thing Harry couldn’t find a way to bring to the Black manor was his familiar. He was heartbroken having to leave Noir there but he couldn’t apparate the cat and while they probably could have shrunk the animal for a short while, it has been proven that this causes the animal a great deal of pain. Harry would rather live a thousand life times with his parents than cause Noir any pain.
Harry hears a laugh off to the side and spots Remus watching him and Noir. “He showed up at our doorstep about 10 minutes ago panting. I think he ran the whole way here.” Harry smiled and hugged Noir tighter. “Good boy! Oh, I’m so glad you’re here.” Harry smiled up at Remus as the man came closer. Remus smiled back as he began to run his fingers through Hadriens hair.
“How you doing kiddie? I know Regulus talked to you and I know you may be more inclined to talk to Sirius about everything that happened but.. I am here. If you need to talk or if you just wanna hang out, I’m here.” Harry frowned at Remus’ words and looked up at him. “Remus. I love Siri and Reggie. They understand me in a way most people don’t. But that doesn’t mean I prefer them over you. I love you just as much and you get me in a way they don’t. You understand me in a way they never could. You understand what it feels like to have no one who truly understands you. I love you. No more or less than Siri and Reggie.”
Remus lets out a wet laugh and looks at the ceiling willing the tears to not fall. He pulls Harry into his side and kisses the top of his head. “You are strangely emotionally stable for a ten year old.” Harry laughs and leans against Remus’ side. They stay there for a moment longer before Remus shifts to stand. “Come on. Regulus made your favorite stew. Hes gonna kill me for making you late.”
“Reggie would never do such a thing.” Harry pauses before saying, “Okay, he would. But I won't let him.” Remus laughs and throws his arm around the boy as they leave the room and head down the hall.
***
Harry was softly running his fingers over his journal while he sat at his desk.. He was tired and kinda wanted to just fall into a dreamless sleep but he also wanted to talk to Tom. Sighing he opens up the journal and grabs a quill.
Tom,
I hope you are doing good. I can for once say that I am too. Sirius and Remus took me to the Black Manor in France and they even decorated a room for me. I might need to add a rug or something though. I like to sit on the floor a lot but the hard wood floor is a little too cold for my taste. Also, I know we agreed to meet in diagon alley but now that we are here in France and I’m away from my parents I don’t know if that's the best idea. Too many people know me. And while I’m a little disappointed I won't be able to get the book I wanted, magical Paris does have a little cafe that Reggie has taken me to before and I was thinking we could meet there? They have really good hot chocolate if thats any incentive. Let me know okay?
Harry closed the journal and placed it in the top drawer of his desk. He sighed as he slowly stretched his neck and stood from the desk making his way to the bookshelves against the wall. He skimmed over the titles before settling on “History of magic: Faeries and Fae Folk.” Even though Harry’s favorite subject is healing, the Fae fold interested him greatly.
A whole world of people with magic that is so unique in nature that even wizards and witches don’t truly understand it. The Fae were known for being neutral in most mortal matters. They didn’t interfere with wars or disputes between wizards or muggles. Hadrien sometimes wonders how they can be so detached. He had heard his dad talk about the laws and regulations that have been going through the Wizengamot and he just didn’t understand.
They wanted to take away the rights of creatures and make regulations against wizarding tradition, specifically rituals. The magical creatures were so important to the wizarding community and making them feel unsafe and running them out would cause irreparable damage to the magical world as they knew it. And the rituals are a part of a deep and meaningful understanding of magic. Rituals, good ones anyway, connect the wizard(s) to Lady Magic.
Harry can’t understand how anyone can look the other way. Not that he necessarily blames the Fae. They witness so much in their long lifespans that things like wizard affairs must seem so trivial to them. And he doesn’t even truly understand the whole topic, just what he's heard from his father. But some things just seems so… wrong. Objectively wrong.
Harry shakes out of his musings and climbs into bed. He settles down and opens the book. Before he knew it the moon was shining directly in his window and he was fighting to keep his eyes open. He placed the book on the bedside table and snuggled under the covers, hoping his dreams would be filled with nice things.
***
Hadrien wakes up to a loud noise echoing outside his room. Even though his room was warm he felt a chill run down his spine. Harry gently pushed his blankets to the side and lightly stepped onto the floor. The tile was cold, so cold it sent shocks through his toes up his legs. He stepped lightly, not wanting to alert anyone that he was awake.
As he gets closer to the door the noise gets clearer, and he finally realizes it’s voices he’s hearing. He slowly opens the door and cringes when it squeaks loudly. Harry pokes his head out and checks the hall to make sure no one is there before stepping out and walking down the hall. He started to hear the conversation better the closer he got to the stairs.
What were his parents doing here? Harry held the railing tightly as he crept down the stairs. He wished he had grabbed his invisibility cloak but it was too late now. He knew that if he went back upstairs he wouldn’t come back down. And he needed to hear this. Hadrien peaked his head into the parlor where he could hear his mom shouting.
“So you’re saying that my child just up and disappeared?! And it had nothing to do with you two? Where is Harry? You have no right to keep my child from me!” Hadrien watched as Sirius balled his hands into fists and took a deep breath.
“YOUR child? How dare you call him that when we both know you could care less about him. You call him Harry all the time even though you know he prefers Hadrien. You punish him for the smallest things but praise your other children for the same things. You got him a familiar so you wouldn’t need to take care of him. For gods sake you let Albus near him when you know his intentions! Would you be this mad when Albus took Hadrien to be his little weapon?! You have no right to say he is your child when me, Remus, and Reggie know him better, and have taken care of him better than you have ever.”
Lily started at Sirius like he had grown two heads. She opened her mouth just to close it again. “I may not be the best mother, no ones perfect, but that doesn’t change the fact that Harry is MY child. He belongs at home with his family. Sirius. Please give my child back.” Hadrien could see the look on his godfathers face. One of pure disbelief. Before he could even think he walked into the parlor.
All the adults except for Regulus, who Hadrien suspects knew he was there the whole time, whip their heads to look at him. Before any of them could get a word in Hadrien started to talk, looking at his mother the whole time. “I have a picture. Of you, me, and Dad. We look happy. I’m younger, about four, and wrapped up in enough layers to give me a heat stroke. We’re sitting in the snow, the indents of our bodies behind us. You smiled at me like I was your whole world. And Dad has his arms around us. We look like a family. But the truth is I have never felt that kind of tender care and love from either of you. All my memories are of brutal hands and disinterest. You claim to be my mother, and I guess biologically you are, but you have never been my parents, not in anything but blood. So you can scream and yell and cry about how you want your child, but I’m not going with you. Because we both know that I haven’t been the little kid you love more than anything in a long time.”
Harry took a deep breath before he continued. “Go home. Please. If you have ever loved me, go home. Let me live here. Let Remus and Sirius adopt me. Let me be happy.” Hadrien didn’t let them answer. He just turned and stoked out of the room. He felt like a weight was lifted, like he could finally breathe the air around him.
He had never felt more free.