Okay, so here's a new chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for being patient everyone, you guys were lucky because I was by myself and slow at work. This month is very busy for me. So enjoy the update while you can! Much Love!
HM
Chapter 3
"Oh no."
Harry saw him look at something over his shoulder. "What?"
"Mum…Mum's coming…oh she's going to kill me."
Harry held his breath as he turned around, but frowned when he saw not only Ginny Weasley running towards them, but Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood right along with her. "Er…mind clarifying which one you are referring to?"
"It's…" James frowned at his dad. "You mean…you don't know?"
"Well." Harry studied Ginny as the girls were nearly to them. "Ginny's kind of like…my girlfriend and all."
James opened his mouth, only to shut it again. One of the few times he didn't know what to say. "Maybe I shouldn't…you know…say anything."
Harry did not like that plan. "But…"
"Harry!" Hermione was the first to reach them as she breathed heavily from her long run. "It's true?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I mean…well, look at him?"
Hermione did and felt as if she was a kid again, meeting Harry for the first time on the train so many years ago. "Merlin…you look just like him."
James grinned. "Uncle Draco calls me Mini Harry."
Harry's jaw dropped. "Uncle Draco?" Harry frowned as he looked at the others, who were also stunned. "You mean…he's in your life? I…I'm still friends with him?"
James laughed. "Well, duh…of course he is. After all, he's married to…" Once again, he shut his mouth, stopping himself from blurting out another shocking fact from the future. "Maybe I should just keep quiet."
Harry watched his eyes flutter nervously to the girls. "James, are you telling me…that Draco…Draco Malfoy…marries one of them?"
James bit his lip and lifted a shoulder. "Maybe…okay, yes…but I won't say who."
Ginny scoffed. "One of us? Marry Draco?" Ginny rolled her eyes and ignored the annoying flutter in her stomach. "That's ridiculous."
"Not too ridiculous. He's rather sexy, " Luna signed dreamily, causing a chuckle out of James.
"Aunt Luna always make me laugh," James muttered softly to where only Harry could hear him. He wondered if James realized he made the mistake of calling Luna, Aunt Luna, automatically eliminating her as his mother. Harry sure caught it and now knew it was between Hermione and Ginny. His palms started to sweat.
"Draco? Sexy?" Ginny scoffed again, flipping her hair doing so. "Please. He's nothing but a cocky, arrogant son of a bi…"
"Hey." Harry held up a hand to cut her off. "Watch the language in front of the kid."
Ginny flushed. "Oh." She looked down at James, giving him a tentative smile. "Sorry."
"That's okay." James shrugged and then chuckled. "Besides, Dad, it's Uncle Fred and Uncle George you worry about, they tend to slip up now and again."
Harry's mouth tilted up. "Really?"
"You bet, I remember when Lily was only two and Uncle Fred…or was it Uncle George? I can't remember, but one of them called the other a butt-munch in front of Lily and for days that's all she would say, over and over again." James cackled at the memory of Lily saying it over and over again while his mum scolded his uncles, who had cringed under her scary wrath. "Mum was not pleased."
Harry couldn't help but smile. "I would imagine not."
"You thought it was hilarious…you tried so hard not to laugh every time she said it. You were careful to do it behind Mum's back, though. So was I. She caught us laughing together one time though." James giggled. "Oops."
Harry laughed with him; he couldn't help but do anything else. The kid wasn't technically born yet and he was already falling head over heels in love with him.
"Harry?"
Harry looked up to see Hermione staring at him with curious eyes. "Yeah? Sorry…maybe we should get going and…"
"Who is Lily?" Hermione asked, cutting him off.
Harry blinked and then remembered they weren't around when James dropped the bomb that he had more kids. "Oh…right. Lily's my youngest daughter." He looked at James. "Right?"
"That's right." James shoved his hands in his pocket to keep from running over to hug his mum. He really, really wanted to. "There are four of us."
Luna smiled softly, Ginny paled and Hermione was cool and silent. "Four," Hermione finally said and looked up at Harry. "Harry, you have four kids."
"Ah, well." Harry held up his hands as the panic crept up him again. "Technically, I don't…at least right now I don't."
"He almost fainted when I told him," James said with a delightful laugh, then yelped when Harry smacked him playfully behind the head. "Ow…jeez Dad."
"You talk too much," he said giving him a slight smile then turned to Hermione. "We need to get him to the castle, do you have the cloak?"
"Yes." Hermione pulled the cloak out of her bag and then gave it to James. "Just put it over you, then no one will see you."
"I know how it works," James said with a grin. "I never get to use it though."
"Why not?" she asked giving a look to Harry. "Your dad doesn't let you use it?"
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Hey, I'd let him use it, I…"
"No, no," James laughed shaking his head. "Oldest at Hogwarts gets it, so I have a few years till I can have it."
Harry couldn't help but smile at the image of his kids sneaking around Hogwarts in his cloak. "Well…you get to use it now. Stay next to me, we'll crowd around you so no one can bump into you."
James nodded as he put the cloak around his shoulders and his head floated in the air. "Hey, where are we going in the castle?"
"To the Head Boy/Girl common room," Harry told him as he helped him with the cloak. "Hermione and I stay there."
"Right." James pulled the cloak over his head. "You've told me all about it."
"Well, now you'll get to see it," Hermione said smiling in his direction, even though she couldn't see it anymore. "We'll keep you there until we figure out how to get you home."
"If anyone can figure it out," Harry said putting his hand on his invisible shoulder. "It's Hermione."
Since they couldn't see him, James took the advantage of grinning to himself. "Okay. I'm ready when you are."
"Stay close," Harry said one more time and then together they made their way to the castle.
James was in awe. His jaw hung open the entire time as he shuffled along through the halls of Hogwarts. He took in every corner, every crevice and painting along the way. When he saw his first ghost he wanted to jump out of his skin, he was so excited. It was exactly the way he pictured it, only better. He hoped the smell was the same years from now, he hoped that the sounds of students chattering as they walked the halls never changed. He loved it. He couldn't wait.
It wasn't until they were safely inside the common room that James threw the cloak off him and began to talk to his dad with excitement. "This place is so cool! I can't believe it…and the ghosts! Wicked! I can't wait to come here, I just can't wait…"
Harry wondered if he ever would stop to take a breath, but couldn't help but smile at the boy's enthusiasm. "James," Harry finally said cutting him off. "Breath, buddy…breath."
James took in a long deep breath, and then let it out. "Okay…okay I'm done. Wow…wow, this is the common room? Cool…Sirius and Riley get to stay here."
"Sirius?" Hermione asked Harry as they walked into the heart of the common room.
"My oldest son."
"Riley?"
"I have no idea."
Ron and Draco, who were sitting on the couch, stood up as they walked in. "So, what's all the commotion about Harry having a son?" Draco asked and then his eyes fell on the kid. "Woah…it's like a mini Harry."
James let out a laugh. "See Dad? Told you he called me that." He then ran over to Draco and threw his arms around him. "Hiya, Uncle Draco! Thanks again for my birthday present, I had a great time."
Draco paled as he looked down at the boy who was hugging him tightly around his waist. "Er…I…hmm." Completely stunned and speechless he looked over to Harry for some help, but he just shrugged, looking just as stunned as he was. "Er…you're welcome?"
James beamed up at him. "You took me and Clark to a Chuddley Cannons game. It was one of the best games I've ever seen!"
"Clark?" Draco looked up at Harry. "Another one of yours?"
Harry stuffed his hands in his pockets, trying to put away the small sting of jealously at the sight of his son hugging Malfoy. "Not to my knowledge."
"No, Clark is yours," James said casually and then smiled up at Ron. "Hey, Uncle Ron."
Ron chuckled nervously as the boy now clung to him. "Er…hey."
"What did you say?" Draco asked in a whisper as he stared at James. "Clark is what?"
James looked up at him puzzled, then realized again that he was in the past and Draco wouldn't have any idea who Clark was. "Oh, he's yours. Your son. We're going to school together in a few weeks, with Mallory too. Oh, Mallory's yours Uncle Ron."
This time, it was Ron who paled. "What? What?"
"Um…James?" Harry took a tentative step towards them. "Maybe you should…not say anything else for a bit."
"Oh." James cleared his throat then laughed nervously. "Right, sorry…I can't really keep my mouth shut."
"You're wrong," Draco said with panic in his eyes. "I don't have son…I can't have a son."
James noticed the look of sheer fear in Draco's eyes and he didn't know what to do. It wasn't the kind of panic that his dad had, or that his Uncle Ron was having now as he sunk to the couch staring into space, but it was fear. "But…you do," he finally said carefully. "Sorry, I…I didn't think you'd be upset, you always seem to love your kids and…"
"Kids?" Draco felt his heart plummet to the pit of his stomach. "I…I have more than one. No…don't answer that."
"Uncle Draco…"
"Don't call me that." Suddenly, the huge room shrank and there were too many people staring…watching him. He felt the air start to thicken and he felt like he was suffocating. "I…I have to go."
He stalked out of the room and everyone moved out of his way, except for Ginny who stood in front of him. "Get out of my way, princess."
Ginny usually scowled at the nickname he used on her, but instead placed a hand on his arm. "Draco, why are you so afraid?"
Draco stiffened at her touch. "I'm not afraid of anything," Draco shrugged off her hand. "The kid just has it wrong. I'm not a father…I'll never be like him."
That surprised her, but she kept her face cool and collective. "Never be like who? You're father?"
Draco opened his mouth, then shut it, then scowled. "Nothing. Leave me alone."
"We have rounds tonight," Ginny said as she moved aside.
"Whatever, I'll be there, but just leave me alone."
The whole room was dead silent as they watched Draco Malfoy storm out of the room.