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Beside You In Time | ||||||
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Category: Alternate Universe Characters:All, All Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Comedy, Drama, General, Humor, Romance, Tragedy Warnings: Death, Disturbing Imagery, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Situations, Violence Rating: R Reviews: 31 Summary: In a desperate bid to save his loved ones, Harry Potter and his wife Ginny go back in time; and maybe with Sirius' help, they can give Harry the kind of upbringing he should have had... Hitcount: Story Total: 15050; Chapter Total: 3829 Author's Notes: Chapter 2! Sorry I've been so scarce here; I know I said I was working on it, and I was... and then work caught up to me and said "NO FREE TIME FOR YOU!" So here I am. Bit shorter than the last chapter, haha... but still good. Here, we get a brief look into the results of Harry and Ginny's master plan...
**Reposting this chapter as well. Took out the bit about the potion; realized there was no way to make it jive with Canon Potterverse. Boo. So I'm trying to come up with a plan B; just about have it refined. Thanks for the feedback, evveryone. :) |
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"MORNING HARRY!" The boy in question threw his pillow at the offending child's head, realizing after the fact that he could no longer bury his head under it. "Bloody hell, James, I'm trying to sleep!" The russet haired, hazel eyed boy simply stuck his tongue out at him, a cheeky grin on his face. At nearly ten years old, James Black was a piece of work. "But it's your birthday, Harry! Mum and Da and Uncle Paddy are all makin' you breakfast right now, and we're not allowed to have any of it till you come down!" he moaned, flopping down onto Harry's bed dramatically. He looked up at the grumpy older boy, a conspiratorial grin on his face. "Besides, how else are you supposed to get your Hogwarts letter?" Harry Potter shot up out of his bed like a cork. "It came?!?!?" James laughed maniacally, running out the door and down the stairs, calling in a sing-song voice: "Not telling! You'll have to find out yourself!" Harry threw on some jeans and a t-shirt, not even bothering to run a comb through his hair (he knew that battle was over before it began anyway) before he darted out the door and down the stairs after his cousin. "Did it come in yet?" he asked the group of people sitting in his kitchen. Sirius turned around and chuckled at him. "Not yet, kiddo. Sorry." Harry turned to glare at James, who was hiding behind his father, trying not to laugh (and failing miserably). "Jamie, you said it came in!" "Got you out of bed, dinnit?" Without even looking up from what he was doing, his father, Regulus, swatted him gently on the head with part of the Daily Prophet. "Leave your cousin alone, Jamie." He looked up at Harry and winked, even as James trudged away, moaning about starving to death. "Breakfast should be ready in a mo'; just waiting on your aunt to stop being such a perfectionist with the ruddy pancakes--" With a rather satisfying 'plop', one of the aforementioned pancakes ended up on top of his head. Rosie turned around, her hand over her mouth in mock surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry, love! Did I hit you with that? I was only trying to hurry and finish making the last of these pancakes, but I suppose I flipped that one a little too fast." Reggie narrowed his eyes at his wife and pushed her forehead with his index finger. "Brat." "Prat." "But you love me." "Pity, that." Rosie wrapped her arms around her husband, and he responded in kind; Harry could only roll his eyes. They were acting like a pair of lovestruck teenagers. Like always, he thought, a little secret grin spreading across his face. He really did hope that one day, if and when he ever got married, it would be like Regulus Black and Rose Evans. His thoughts were interrupted, however, by the sight of his godfather transforming into a shaggy black dog, jumping up on Rosie from behind and snatching the forgotten pancake off of Reggie's head. "Dammit, Sirius! Get your own!" Reggie swatted playfully at his older brother, who had returned to human form. "Oh but it's so much more fun this way! And besides, I saw that look, and I doubt Harry here needs another repeat of his fourth birthday, wouldn't you say?" Reg and Rosie blushed furiously; Harry himself groaned and covered his ears, trying to block out that particular embarrassing moment. Suffice it to say that he had come downstairs a little earlier than usual in his excitement over his birthday, and ended up coming across his cousin Lily's conception (which was taking place in the kitchen, for reasons unfathomable). The only part that made up for it (very bloody slightly, he thought with a grimace) was that after he had stood there stunned for the last hurrah, as it were, he then asked his aunt and uncle in innocent-child fashion why they were wrestling on the table, and wouldn't Uncle Paddy get mad if he caught them. The looks on their faces when they realized what he had just seen... priceless. Harry also couldn't understand why his uncle seemed less upset about it than his aunt, or why he'd gotten punched the one time Reggie had said "well, it's nothing he won't see eventually." Not that he could understand what the sometimes cryptic man meant by it anyway. "Alright, you lot, breakfast is ready!" his aunt half shouted, levitating the dishes over to the table. The pattering of feet could be heard as his younger cousins ran down the steps and into the dining room. Lily entered first, her bright red hair flying behind her like a mane of fire, her giant grin revealing missing front teeth. She jumped on her cousin, wrapping her arms around his thin frame like she hadn't seen him in years. Following her (though more slowly, being a more reserved child than his exuberant sister) was Albus, who was possibly Harry's favorite cousin, despite there being two and a half years difference in age between them. They looked enough alike to have been brothers; Harry supposed it was because their parents had a lot of similar features, not to mention that they were related through Rosie. His musings were, once again, interrupted as another person entered the room. "Happy Birthday, Harry," Remus Lupin said gruffly, embracing his 'nephew' with one arm; the other was holding something behind his back. Harry heard Lily gasp, and pulled back, grinning like mad. "Thanks Uncle Moony. Now what are you hiding behind your back?" Remus smiled wolfishly. "Didn't think I'd be able to keep this one a secret for very long, with those little imps you call cousins running around, so I figured I'd give you your present a little early." He brought his arm around, revealing a large snowy owl sitting in an equally large cage. Harry's eyes widened. "My own owl? WICKED!" "Remus, you know we don't give presents out until after breakfast," Rosie said sternly, crossing her arms and leveling him with a rather pointed look. He shifted uncomfortably; Harry looked at his aunt beseechingly. "Aunt Rosie, please? Hedwig's probably not had her breakfast yet either. And besides, how else am I going to reply to my letter, since Artemis is still out?" "Hedwig?" "That's what I've decided to call her. I think it suits her." Rosie chewed her lip, looking conflicted. "I think we can let it slide this once, love," Reggie muttered, staring at the beautiful snowy owl with a wistful expression. Rosie sighed, running her hands through her hair, and nodded. "Alright. But just this once." This time, her pointed look was directed at her husband, who nodded, looking resigned. These silent exchanges had always confused Harry; he'd recently asked his godfather about it, and the usually playful and high spirited man had actually given him a very serious answer. "Your uncle and I both had a rough go of it when we were growing up. It makes both of us a little prone to doting on you kids. He's especially guilty of it, given.. some things in his past. Your aunt keeps him on a tight leash because she knows he'll spoil you all so badly you probably wouldn't even be able to fit through doorways, your heads would be so big. Don't be too hard on them, Harry. Rosie's done good by you lot, dare I say as good as your own mother would have done. And Reggie's a good man, and he means well. He's just trying too hard to make up for too much, I guess." "But why does it always seem to be centered around me?" Sirius regarded him silently for a few moments, seeming like he was considering his words very carefully. After what seemed like forever, he spoke. "You've read a few things about the War, right?" "A bit." "You remember what a Death Eater is?" "One of Voldemort's servants, right?" Sirius nodded. "Your uncle was... always very eager to try and please our parents. He would have done anything to appease them. So when they wanted him to join up..." Harry's eyes widened. "Uncle Regulus was a Death Eater?" Sirius nodded again. "Why isn't he in Azkaban? And how'd he end up with Aunt Rosie? I thought that went against the whole blood supremacy thing?" "It did. Fact is, kiddo, your uncle got in a little over his head. He saw some things that he can't ever forget, and was forced to do things he can't take back." "Did he... did he ever...?" He seemed to understand his godson's question without having to actually hear it. "He never killed anyone. But he has used two of the Unforgivables. And ironically enough, has never forgiven himself for doing it. Besides that, he learned some things that frightened him. And he was head over heels in love with your aunt at the time as well. Those three things gave him the strength to finally locate his stones and break ranks. Your aunt knew why he had really gone, and while disappointed in him, wasn't really angry. He'd come back to her after all. They married in secret, and ended up coming to me a week later looking for a place to hide. I nearly turned him away, I was so angry with him. But I didn't. And I'm grateful for that. Not even two nights after, their house was ransacked and burned to the ground, and a little while later, Jamie was born, and the war ended just a little over two months after that." He shrugged, leaning back in his chair and looking into the dying fire. "So you see, Harry... all this time, he's been wanting to atone for his sins by creating a life for you and your cousins that he wished he had had for himself. It's a little silly, and maybe a little selfish, but I can't begrudge him this. I can only trust your aunt to temper his more... extravagant tendencies." He turned back to Harry, studying him. "Do you understand a little better now?" "I... I'm not sure." He studied him for a moment longer, finally catching the hint of sadness and disappointment in the boy's face. "Harry, if there's one thing you should ever be sure of, it's this: those two love you more than you could possibly imagine. No matter what they say or how they act, never forget that." And Harry nodded. And Sirius left it at that. "Harry, how many pieces of bacon would you like?" Harry started, surprised out of his reverie by his uncle's innocent question. His aunt laughed brightly. "Which planet did you visit this time, Harry?" He glared at his aunt, blushing lightly. "For your information, I was floating around the outer planets, sightseeing... got a rather good look at Uranus, I might add." Rosie's eyebrows disappeared into her strawberry blonde hairline as the men all snorted into their drinks. Reggie, unfortunately, had been trying to take a bite of his eggs at the time, and ended up inhaling them instead. Harry wasn't sure if his face was that red due to embarrassment from the reference or from choking on bits of egg white. He finally managed to regain his composure, and addressed his nephew. "Well, now that you're done trying to kill me... bacon. Would you like some?" His face was still red. Totally blushing, Harry thought gleefully. Sirius and Remus shared a conspiratorial look, grinning evilly into their tea. Rosie seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of boxing his ears over the table or just taking the subtle jab with grace. She apparently decided on the latter, because she forked over two slices of bacon without waiting for his reply. "I'm letting this slide because it's your birthday, but I will get you back for that, Potter," she growled. He shrugged apologetically, and her expression lightened... slightly. Rosie ruffled his hair before digging into her own meal with her characteristic zeal. Breakfast continued without a hitch-- except for James putting syrup in Al's hair, and Nymphadora showing up to drop off her present and flirt with Remus a bit before she went to training (the old wolf was blushing into his tea for hours afterward)-- and they had moved into the sitting room for the remainder of his gifts. Tonks got him an assortment of Zonkos products (which Rosie forbid him to use in the house, much to his dismay). Lily, Albus, and James had pooled their allowance together to get him a book about famous Quidditch maneuvers (he loved it, and told them so. They were thrilled.) From Sirius, he got a strange silvery cloak. "It was your father's." Their eyes locked. "Try it on." He threw it over his shoulders and pulled the hood up. His cousins gasped. "Where'd he go?" Lily practically screamed, sounding legitimately concerned. "What are you talking about, I haven't moved an inch!" he replied, baffled. Sirius handed him a mirror; he couldn't see himself in it. He pulled back the hood, and his cousins gasped again. "Is this... an invisibility cloak?" Sirius nodded. "How else do you think the Marauders got away with half the pranks they pulled?" he teased gently. Harry beamed at his godfather, truly grateful for the small piece of his father that he'd been given. "Thank you," he said softly. Sirius simply nodded once more, his eyes suspiciously bright. He was about to reach for Reg and Rosie's gift when suddenly, a large tawny owl flew into the room, a rather official looking letter attached to his leg. Harry took the letter (giving a small bit of leftover bacon to the bird, who took it gratefully) and read the front, his grin growing as he did so. "Its my Hogwarts letter!" He began reading the contents of the letter excitedly, his cousins gathered around him. None of them noticed the wistful couple in the back of the room. "Much less uneventful this time around, I must say," Reg whispered. Rosie put her head on his shoulder and wove her fingers through his. "That's a good thing, though. He's happy, love. You don't have to try so hard." "I know. It's just hard to forget. And sometimes..." he trailed off, a shadow crossing his features. "You wonder if we did the right thing?" He nodded. "I don't know if we changed him too much, raising him as we did." "You think raising him in the muggle world was a bad idea?" "Not really... it's just that I have a difficult time reconciling the boy we've raised with the boy I was." "Then we'll just have to hope that we did good by him, won't we?" He nodded. She stroked his hand with her thumb. "It'll be alright, Harry. You'll see." "Yeah... I guess we will, Gin." Author's Notes Pt. 2: So now I've vaguely revealed how they've managed some of the issues you've all brought up. In an earlier draft of this chapter, I went on for ages about what "Rosie" and "Regulus" looked like, but judged it to be a bit trite, and it really kinda threw the whole flow of the story off. It's a little sad, because it makes it a little more obvious what they did to mask their appearances, as well, but I really couldn't make it fit, so I'm going to just have to let you all figure that bit out for yourselves. I think it's obvious, but then, I wrote it. :P Anyway, for the record, this is NOT going to be a rewrite of the Harry Potter books. I will be basically skimming through each of the major events and changing things as I see fit. I HAVE DA POWAH!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! But seriously, I don't want to rewrite the whole bloody series. You'll see what I'm doing with it within the next two chapters. Which should be out soon-ish. I'll be starting on the next one momentarily. And I've got a couple of days off coming up, and the video shoot is FINALLY done, so more time for me. :D Except for that whole Christmas thing. Sigh. And I'm still in the market for a beta, if anyone's interested (or could point me in the direction of someone who is) cuz... while I think that I don't have many grammatical errors in my work, I'd like to have someone to help me fine tune it so it's not so... amateurish. :( Anyway, thanks for reading. And if I don't have the next chapter up before the holidays, then I hope you all have a good one. Stay safe! /endramble. |
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