Intimacy

1st August 2000- Tuesday

Alsephina's first birthday went better than he could have hoped. Harry had woken up before dawn, filled with adrenaline and ready to begin the preparations. Anya had attempted to take over halfway through, citing that he needed his rest, but Harry was not dissuaded. He would make sure his daughter's first birthday would go to plan.

As had happened the day before for his own, presents began pouring in from the other concubines mid-morning, sent by various maids. Some were typical, bows and little dresses, teddies and toys that were popular at the moment. The more extravagant gifts were sent by those making a statement, such as his fellow Consorts and a few Concubines.

Penny sent over a small outside playhouse with two floors, fully equipped with a sink and running water, a table with chairs, and a tea set. Alongside it was a letter, handwritten in her swirling font, congratulating Alsephina on her first birthday, with a note at the bottom implying that Penny's own daughters may like to be invited for tea in her new teahouse. As she could not read, the Primary Consort knew he'd have to be the one to invite the girls over, neither of whom were particularly close to Alsephina.

Bellatrix gifted his daughter a dress, as others had, but alongside it, a box with two bejewelled bangles, several sizes too large. There was a note alongside this gift to, this one addressed towards Harry directly, stating that the bangles were to be put away for when his daughter was older, but gifted as a memento of her first birthday. His heart had warmed slightly towards the woman for such a thoughtful gift.

Isla had gifted him rolls of fine fabrics so that he could commission a dress of choice for her instead of designing one, alongside a small bike that lacked pedals. Harry had stared at it when first receiving it, then over at Alsephina who was tottling around, careening slightly to the left. It would be another gift he'd put away, although this one would perhaps have a use within a few months if she continued to advance as she did.

Regulus' gift had confused him. It was a small book, untitled and blank inside. Harry had flicked through it, raising an eyebrow, until the maid had passed him a letter. The book had quickly been tucked away in a trunk after that, until Alsephina was far older. There was no way Harry was going to allow his infant daughter to handle a book that had come from the depths of the Black Family library, whether it accepted her as a member of their family or not.

For his daughter's birthday, Thomas had outdone himself, truly. There were several types of gifts, many dresses and toys, her birthday cake he was yet to set eyes on, and most strikingly, a small crown that sat perfectly on her curls, with a singular white gem at its centre. Alsephina had abandoned the stuffed Thestral Luna had gifted her as soon as Harry had lifted it out of its box, reaching with grabbing hands. He had placed it gently on her head, cooing at the sight of her, but quickly packed it up when it became clear she more wanted to bash it on the floor than wear it.

The party that followed in the afternoon was a joyful one.

He had dressed Alsephina up in one of the many dresses Thomas sent over for her birthday, a white one that would surely be stained before the day was out but suited her so well with the matching bow in her red locks that he found he didn't care. He could just spell the mess away, if it didn't mess with the spellwork that made the lace butterflies covering the skirt flutter.

The Emperor had held her gently and whispered softly to her when he had first arrived, smoothing a careful hand over her ever-growing curls. Their daughter had giggled joyfully, reaching up to pat at his face, delighted that her 'Fa' was here, so much so that she had refused to be held by anyone else until the cake was brought out, an extravagant, towering thing of four tiers Harry had no hand in designing.

Harry held her carefully over the cake, the candle in the centre flickering with a false flame which switched colour every few seconds, which intrigued his daughter. She reached for it with her small hands, and he kept her just out of reach, gently rocking her as her siblings began raucously singing 'Happy Birthday'.

The smile on his face was blinding. He'd never truly been to a birthday party that wasn't his own before, 'too old' by the time he had gained friends, and unallowed to attend those of other concubines' children. It was incredible to see Alsie's older siblings jumping around on the bouncy castle, playing carefreely despite the stares of their concubine parents.

The presence of his own parents made everything brighter, as well. Before Alsie, Harry was only able to see them once a year on his birthday, or perhaps for other special occasions. Now, with his and his daughter's birthdays only a day apart, Lily and James stayed in a house just outside the court to oversee both of the special days.

Their gift to their currently only grandchild had been a miniature broom, a copy of his own. Harry had nearly flipped as she had unwrapped it, tugging his Dad aside with a raised eyebrow and blazing eyes.

"She is one! What has possessed you to gift her such a thing?"

His Dad had simply looked at him with warm, brown eyes, mischief glittering within them. "Your Mum said the exact same thing when Sirius gave you a similar one at the same age."

Seeing his grinning face, Harry deflated, knowing that story well. He had loved his toy broom as a toddler, he was told, refusing to be parted from the thing even in his sleep. Harry knew he'd have a hard time separating his daughter from hers, as he watched her clutch it reverently to his chest.

Perhaps he'd dig out his own broom soon and see if she shared his love of quidditch.

2nd August 2000- Wednesday

The fourth day of the Tournament consisted of six duels, with each competitor battling against the others until two stood out as the finalists.

As the fifth match of the day drew to a close, Ricci winning her third match against Tahiri, cementing her place in the final, Harry leaned back into his chair.

At over thirty-six weeks along now, Harry was sore and constantly uncomfortable, regretting deeply his decision to attend today. And as it would be remiss not to, Harry was determined to attend the finals in a week, if his twins decided to stay put.

Thomas turned to him, and Harry noticed a bubble of magic form around them, shielding their conversation from prying ears and eyes. "I've informed my most trusted Healers about the twins, so that they may be prepared for the labour alongside your own." He murmured into Harry's ear, masking the movement of his lips despite the other protections.

It warmed Harry's heart to know that his husband was taking the safety of their twins so seriously even so close to their birth when the danger from the other concubines had decreased dramatically.

"That is probably for the best," Harry responded. "I believe it would be best not to startle the Healers as well. There will be enough pandemonium once the others realise the existence of the twins has been kept from them."

The man's lip twitched up, his amusement clear. "I do believe this would be the first time they have been so blindsided. Usually, my Harem lauds themselves on their superior knowledge."

The roar of the crowd rose in volume, and Harry's attention was caught by the swaggering form of Alixan, mirrored on the opposite side by Japan's Toriyama, beginning the final duel of the day. This match would determine Ricci's challenger in the finals next week.

The two settled across from each other, their faces grim and serious even as the crowd cheered jubilantly, shouting their support. The duel began with a bang, the arena going up in smoke within a few seconds due to a spell from the man. Harry frowned, hearing the sounds of the battle continuing but unable to see.

It took a minute for the one to clear enough for them to see, the flashing spells and duellers movement enough to waft the smoke away, but it had allowed Toriyama to get a shot in, if the stiff way Alixan was holding her shoulder said anything.

They continued their battle, neither gaining the upper hand, spells shooting back and forth across the arena in a dizzying array of colours.

Alixan panted, hands spread out in front of her to stop the spell with a hastily called out shield, throwing herself to the side when another spell hidden in the shadow of the first spiralled towards her.

Both competitors seemed exhausted, pulling on the last dregs of their magic to continue the duel.

It all came to a head when both duellest shouted out the same spell, eager to end the match swiftly and decisively. "Expelliarmus!"

However, when it came to a spell such as the disarming spell, as Harry would know from his stringent use of it, the winner would always be the witch or wizard with the most drive and determination.

That's why, after only a few seconds of resistance, Toriyama's wand went flying from his palm, and he ducked his head in defeat.

They had their finalists: Alixan and Ricci would be duelling in a week's time for the title of Champion.

9th August 2000- Wednesday

The final day of the Tournament dawned upon them sooner than Harry had wished, and he was surprised he was in attendance.

Already, the urge to hide away in his Palace was strong. He was no longer attending the morning meetings as of a few days previous, anxious that he'd enter labour at any moment. But he felt he couldn't miss the final, he would kick himself if he did and the twins stayed put.

The entrance of the two women was far more grand than the previous days, each competitor arriving in the arena to cheers from the fans they had gathered over the past few weeks.

Ricci was dressed in black duelling robes lined with red, her black hair held up in a simple bun. Alixan, opposite her, was dressed in baby blue, her hair loose and flowing down her back. The two competitors couldn't have been more different, but as their duel began, they seemed at first to be pretty evenly matched.

They traded spells of varied levels of lethality, from tickling curses to cutting ones. They circled one another, like two lionesses fighting over the same piece of meat. Neither were giving an inch, their power equal, Ricci being the more advanced of the two with her spellwork.

"Flipendo!" Alixan cried out, the arching spell missing Ricci by mere inches. The other woman danced away, shooting back a spell of her own in retaliation, and not waiting for Alixan to recover before sending off another.

They were both breathing heavily, the drawn-out duel consisting of tens of spells sent back and forth draining even their large magical cores. It was only a matter of time until one slipped up.

The woman stared on in shock, hands shaking where they were tightly tied together by conjured strings of magic, as her competitor observed the wand she held loftily.

Alixan shook her head, eyes wide as Ricci turned, bowing to the Royal box with a flourish.

"Your Majesty," The woman's voice was rich and accented, strong despite her clear exhaustion. "You have your Champion." She straightened, standing tall under the Emperor's gaze.

Harry looked to Thomas as well, smiling with exhilaration. He was sure, by the look on his face, that the woman would be receiving a request to join his Knights soon enough. But, for the time being, he needed to hear and grant her personal request first.

"Veronica Ricci, I congratulate you on your victory. You have proved yourself as the strongest of the competitors, bringing glory to your country. I now bestow upon you the title of Champion, which you will hold until the mantle is passed over to your successor, whenever that may be." The crowd cheered, and Ricci bowed with a self-satisfied smile.

Harry was still watching Alixan as she stood, still bound, staring at Ricci as if she couldn't quite believe that she had been bested.

"Now, as the World's Champion, what was your request I am to fulfil?"

Before the woman could respond, there was a flash, and a large bang that echoed loudly in the enclosed space, sending many shrieking, and cowering in their seats. Ricci was thrown across the arena, coming to a stop mere metres from tumbling off the edge. She clambered to her feet within moments, teeth gnashed together in a violent grimace.

"What is the meaning of this?!" She spat, sneering at Alixan, who, now unbound, stood in the spot she had occupied. "If you still had the strength, you should have used it when you could! I am the Champion-" 

The woman, blue eyes filled with fire, stared straight into the Emperor's, ignoring her fuming competitor. "I believe it is time I should properly introduce myself." She began, and a hush settled over the arena as people leant forward in their seats, curiosity winning over. "I am Estella Alixan, daughter of Astra Alixan and Aberforth Dumbledore-" Harry breathed in deeply, feeling his blood run cold. Around him, the other concubines made similar noises of shock, and a wave of muttering descended upon the crowd below. A few shouts of dissent rang out, the spectators surging forward, but Alixan stood steadfast. "Neice to Albus Dumbledore. I condemn you, false ruler, conqueror and beast! The Order of the Phoenix has risen, we will not stand for your tyrannical reign to last a day more! And the people will rise against you, as they need not fear you no longer. My uncle will free them from your grasp, Voldemort!"

Thomas had risen to his feet as her speech continued, face impassive. Harry could not read him at all in that moment, even his eyes devoid of any emotion. The crowd was growing louder, up on their feet, shouting and cursing. Alixan turned to them, raising her hands up in the air, as if revelling in the chaotic atmosphere.

To the Emperor's other side, Penny stood, eyes icy, flittering back and forth between the stadium and Thomas.

Feeling unsure, Harry placed his hands over his stomach, knowing that the shields and Knights surrounding the Royal Box would protect them if Alixan got violent, but worried all the same. She looked confident, unafraid that she may be but moments away from death or torture.

Knights, making no sound, appeared suddenly in the arena, dressed in black and masked, like omens of death. They surrounded the woman, perfectly positioned. Each had their wand raised, pointing it at the woman, who turned in a circle, meeting each of them in the eyes as they stood still, waiting on the Emperor's order to attack or subdue.

The standoff lasted for all of a moment, the woman once more glancing back up to the Royal Box, to where Thomas was still standing passively. She scowled, perhaps believing she could entice him from the balcony.

However, Harry could now see in his husband's gaze that Alixan didn't tempt him in the slightest, magically or physically. She seemed to realise this, squaring her shoulders as if preparing for a fight, as the Knights surrounding her were advancing ever closer, although not yet attacking.

There was a pulse of magic then, strong, far stronger than Alixan's own, but similar. The hair on the back of Harry's neck prickled, and he sought out Thomas' gaze in askance and reassurance, to find the man grinning.

He was staring at something far out, above the arena. Harry followed his gaze, stomach turning when he spotted a lone figure high in the sky, upon a broom. Even from such a distance, Harry knew who it was. There was perhaps only one person who could elicit such a dark grin from his husband.

Dumbledore.

Magic rippled through the air, testing, searching. It met Thomas' own, their contrasting magics flitting about, evading touch. Harry looked back to the arena, feeling a disturbance, and blinked. Alixan was nowhere to be seen.

To his side, Thomas let out a high-pitched laugh that sounded so unlike the one's Harry had heard before, sending a shiver down his spine. He watched the man, feeling as if he didn't know him. The Emperor looked breathless as he stared up at the sky, his words booming in the silence that had descended across the arena.

"Albus Dumbledore, back in Britain." He took in a deep breath, his smile waning. "Finally, you have crawled out of your hole. I have been expecting you."

The old man didn't respond, his features obscured by distance. He simply let out one last pulse of magic, his deed done, and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Thomas laughed once more, breathlessly, as if such a thing wasn't shocking.

There was pandemonium from there on, the festivities forgotten as the crowd began to scramble out of the arena. The concubines were filed out of the stadium and ushered quickly back into the Court, which now seemed to be swarming with Knights. Evidently, they had known about the man's presence beforehand to have been able to mobilise so swiftly. The walls outside of Harry's Palace were teeming with them, the pair at the gate bowing to him as he passed, pale in the face and shaking slightly, hurrying for the safety of his Palace and his vulnerable daughter.

Albus Dumbledore was back, and it was clear that the Emperor was itching for a fight, and had known of his continued existence all along.

16th August 2000- Wednesday

Thomas admitted to himself, in the protected confines of his mind, that childbirth was something that he truly feared, even though he knew he would never go through such a thing himself.

His own mother had passed away giving birth to him, leaving him alone in the world, a penniless orphan, left to rot with Muggles in a dreary, run-down orphanage in London during the most catastrophic of times.

And death seemed to continue to pervade the act of creating life. A concubine of his had passed from complications, nearly ten years ago now. Amelia was a blessing, but Thomas wished she could have had a mother to truly protect her, and care for her lovingly all these years.

Several others had been left scarred, mentally and physically, by the experience, the children they loved and toiled so desperately to bring into the world often not surviving the night.

And now, just meters away, Harry, his husband, was making such pained noises as he too laboured to bring their children into the world. His labour had begun suddenly in the midst of the morning meeting, and the concubines had been ushered to his Palace as soon as the news had reached them.

Thomas kept his expression placid as he awaited, focusing intently on the sounds coming from the room, not allowing himself to leave the hallway for even a moment. It was he who had put his husband in this position, he would stand vigil in wait of their children and news of Harry's stable health.

When Thomas heard the first wails, some of the tension in his body relaxed, especially as he could hear the sounds of Harry's joy at finally meeting one of their children. His husband's voice sounded pained and tired, but strong and full of love.

The child's wails chorused with Harry's own as their third child decided to make their entrance into the world soon after, and Thomas clenched his hands into fists as the pained noises seemed to never end, time ticking on until he could nearly bear it no more.

A shout echoed into the hall, and he surged forward, no door or maid able to stop him in his tracks, flinging open the door to the room to the sight of the second twin being lifted up and away from Harry, who was slumped back on the pillows, panting heavily. Their eyes met, Harry's hazy with pain but full of pride, before they blazed.

"Shut the door!" His husband commanded, and Thomas' magic reacted accordingly, slamming the door shut on the faces of his concubines before they could entertain the thought of poking their noses in where they didn't belong. Harry looked thoroughly amused and grateful, beckoning him closer, and Thomas approached cautiously, his back straight and footsteps falsely confident. "Come and meet our children, Thomas."

Thomas stopped by Harry's side, eyes still transfixed on his even as Harry's gaze moved over to where he assumed their twins were, the soft cooing noises evident. His husband looked tired, much more so than last time, his breathing heavier. Thomas sat on the chair to his side, reaching over to grasp at one of his hands, which the man thankfully took. He brought it up to his face, resting his forehead on it, just clasping Harry to him and feeling his fingers twitch, a sign of life.

The noises of their children grew louder, and Tom couldn't focus on Harry entirely any longer, pulling away from him to gaze at the midwife holding their precious twins. The woman bowed slightly, smiling.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty, Your Highness, on the birth of the Seventh Prince and the Eighteenth Princess. May your reign last forevermore, Your Majesty, and your newest children inherit Your immeasurable power."

The eldest, the boy, had golden tufts of hair sticking up messily, his skin reddened from birth but clearly lighter than Harry's, matching his father. He was smaller, although not by much, and calmer than the girl who sat on the other side of Harry's chest.

His youngest daughter was squirming, her little nose scrunching up as she whined, Thomas' hand brushing gently over the identical golden locks she wore. Harry followed the hand up to the eyes of the owner, watching as his husband focused intently on their newest daughter.

Harry couldn't help but grin, putting his thoughts out there before anyone else could voice them. "Are there any blondes on your side of the family, Your Majesty? My maternal Grandfather was, and so was my Grandmother Euphemia."

The man's red eyes met his, knowing. Harry wouldn't have stated such a thing unless he wanted the others to hear it as well.

"There are, on my paternal side mostly, from what I know. The Gaunt's may have had some, but I was not entirely concerned about the hair colours of my ancestors."

Now that they had had a little time to bond, and Harry was marginally more presentable, the other concubines were allowed to gaze upon them with their judgemental eyes, watching Harry's vulnerable self intently and scrutinising his twins.

There had been a few titters as they had first laid eyes on them, gasps and noises of shock. Harry had delighted in seeing the Consorts freeze, although Isla's lip had twitched up slightly into a smirk first of all.

Penny, at the front, had made a face as if she had bitten into a lemon, nose scrunching as she looked between his perfect children. She was the first to speak.

"We didn't know you were expecting twins, Brother." The Primary Consort breathed out, her voice slightly strained. She tried to cover it by continuing. "If we had, we would have prepared double the amount of gifts. Unless... of course, you didn't know yourself?"

Harry smiled, feeling relaxed. "Oh, I knew, as did His Majesty. We wanted it to be a surprise. It is a lovely surprise, isn't it, Sister? I have had two of His Majesty's children at once."

The woman certainly didn't look as if it was a 'lovely surprise'. Still, custom dictated she congratulated him all the same, plastering a smile of her own on her face. "Of course. Congratulations, Your Majesty, Brother."

Harry gave her a last glance, before turning to his husband. For all he had been awaiting watching the concubine's faces and reactions to the news, he was currently more concerned as to what his twins were to be named.

"Your Majesty," He began. "Have you decided upon the names of our newest children?"

The man met his eyes, a soft glaze covering them that only appeared when around his children. "Yes," He spoke, looking to their son first, as the eldest. "If one of our children was to be a boy, I wished to name them Julius, for if he shall be named heir to one of the many Lordships you retain, he would be a ruler, and I would name him a Duke. As I will to all of my children who take upon the role of Lord or Lady in adjacence to their role as Prince or Princess." Harry's breath caught in his throat, and he stared down at the tiny boy on his chest, attaching the name to him. Yes, it fit, and it went well with the name Harry had chosen, the symbolism of both Luna's and Amelia's visions not lost on him.

"Then he shall be named Julius Sirius Slytherin, after my Uncle. My little star." He placed a kiss on his fluffy, golden locks, sighing contently as the newly named Julius snuffled closer to him.

"Julius Sirius, a strong name for my youngest son," Thomas repeated proudly, reaching over to gently cup the back of the boy's head. "And as for our second daughter," He moved to stroke gentle fingers through her slightly curlier locks, and their daughter squirmed, a frown making its way onto her tiny face, and Harry huffed with laughter. "I thought to honour your mother once more, so that the sisters may be further connected. Lilaia, after a Greek nymph of water, and also the name of an asteroid, so that she shares a connection with her twin through the Black Family tradition."

Harry laughed a little harder at that. "It seems we both went with names that began with L. I had decided to name her Lucia, for as her brother is my star, she needs light of her own. My serpent" His daughter took that moment to blink open her small eyes, and both parents leaned in, holding their breaths.

Blue eyes, brighter than the summer sky, blinked back at him, identical to the Emperor's own when he was a young boy. Harry smiled, moving closer to press a kiss on her cheek, and he was sure that for a split second, his daughter's eyes mirrored his own.

17th August 2000- Thursday

The day following, after all the adrenaline of finally meeting his twins had worn off, holding one of them screaming herself red in the face and the other wailing sleepily in Anya's arms, Harry felt exhausted beyond anything. He was still suffering from the aftereffects of a long labour, but the both of them clamouring for his constant attention, along with making sure that Alsie wasn't feeling left out was taking a toll on him. Having a horde of maids helped, but his children wanted him, not the strange arms of women who hadn't bonded with them for nine long months.

Therefore, Harry had set up a system so that the child that was most wanting was held in his arms, and all three were in the room with him so that they could still feel his magic. This, however, was proving hard to enforce, as both twins seemed to set each other off, and the excitement of having siblings had now worn off in Alsephina, who simply clamoured for his sole attention, even going so far as to scream louder than her newborn siblings to gain it.

"Lila, sweetie, hush," Harry murmured tearfully, feeling his headache deepen. "You need to sleep at some point." His daughter, however, showed no signs of stopping, wailing heart-wrenchingly as he rocked her. Only a day old, yet she already seemed so full of worry.

He felt a sharp twinge in his head, breathing out shallowly through his nose as the pain refused to abate. Anya was quick to notice, ushering him swiftly towards the sofa and removing his wailing daughter from his arms. Harry reached for her, concerned, but his Head Maid softly pushed him backwards. He slumped heavily back into the soft cushions, his head feeling heavy.

"Please, Your Highness, you need to rest yourself."

"But, the children-" Harry was quick to refute, shoving the dizziness away from sitting up once again.

"Their Highnesses will be well taken care of by me and your other trusted maids. It is what we are here for. You need to rest, focus on growing stronger. The birth of the twins was, as you know, not an easy one." Anya looked at him with her soulful eyes, still cradling little Lilaia who was still grizzling in dissatisfaction. Harry felt his eyes droop against his will, the plush cushions and warmth of the summer sun aiding the exhaustion he felt. He had been up all night with them, sleeping only fretfully for a couple of hours before a now increasingly mobile Alsephina had awoken him by wailing at his door, setting off the twins who were sharing his room for the time being. He hadn't slept a wink since, evening now settling in despite the sun still shining high in the sky.

Harry cast a look around the room, spotting that Alsie was entertaining herself with some blocks, a scowl on her face, but she was occupied. Julius appeared to finally be dropping off to sleep now that his sister's wails quietened, staring up at him with familiar eyes, ones he saw in the mirror every day. They were hazy, but watching him with faint understanding, eyes drooping. Lilaia made a sleepy snuffling sound in Anya's other arm, both content that they were near each other and Harry, as they had been only a day prior.

Harry huffed, watching as they calmed simultaneously, almost rolling his eyes at the situation. 

"Wake me if any of my children need me." He tiredly commanded Anya, who bowed her head briefly, keeping still so as to not startle the twins awake whilst they were still dropping off.

Harry felt his own eyes close, his tiredness catching up to him, but not before he sleepily reminded the woman to make sure another maid was in the room to watch his eldest daughter if she left.