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Then.
… He felt as though the memory of it was eating him from inside. He had been so sure that his parents had been wonderful people…
… Harry reminded himself that Lily had intervened; his mother had been decent…
… Once or twice he even wondered whether James had forced her into it… (OoTP)
Now.
Eltanin Sirius Malfoy-Potter had always loved his parents and held them in high regards. Especially Draco. His father was the one Eltanin ran to whenever he sought approval or comfort since he usually reserved finding solutions to problems for his daddy. Dad had always been more receptive to giving him affection and receiving it from him. It wasn’t like his daddy didn’t love him because he was sure he did. He had birthed him after all. But dad had been his rock, and both of them loved to annoy daddy and his big sister, Lily Cassiopeia.
Dad had always covered for him when he made a mistake and had always told him incredible stories when he had been a toddler – tales about love and mistakes – and Eltanin would remember each and every one of them, always starved for more. He had also been told that both of his names were actually names of stars – Sirius being the brightest in the sky and Eltanin being the brightest star in Draco’s constellation. Still to this day, he wove this tale to build confidence in himself and wore his names proudly.
Plus, dad and he looked alike. They had the same downturn small cold-grey eyes and the same white-blond hair with the same pointy nose and chin.
He had always been proud of how much he looked like his father.
But that was before he started to dive into his past.
The first time he had heard someone talk about his dad outside his family and friends was when he had been sitting in a compartment with Teddy – his dad’s cousin – his sister, and Rose and Hugo who were Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron’s children. It had been the first time that he was about to go to Hogwarts, and he had been excited. His father had told him what a wonderful place it was, and he knew his daddy viewed it as his first real home. He had been listening to his friends talk about Professor Engelbert, teacher of the Transfiguration class, and how boring he was – except for Rose, who found his classes fascinating; and honestly, based on what his sister had said, if listening to an old man mumbling for two hours nonstop is her idea of fun, then he didn’t even want to guess what she found boring – anyway. He had been in the middle of that particular discussion when the door of the compartment opened sharply.
They turned their heads simultaneously to see a chubby boy with coarse hair and a lanky girl with a pug face wearing a sneer; both looking haughty. They seemed tall and looked definitely older than him or Hugo.
“Hello?” greeted Teddy with a friendly tone, but the tilt of his voice couldn’t cover his confusion.
“The name’s McLaggen.” Said the boy. “Humperdick McLaggen.”
“And I’m Lacie-Mae Parkinson,” greeted the girl next to him. “The whole train is talking about it – apparently there is a new Malfoy-Potter in the train –”
“Oh – hello, Lily!” greeted the boy, ruffling his stupid hair before leaning on the doorframe with his forearm and wearing a cocky grin. “Lovely to see you here, my girl.”
His sister let out a disgusted sound before she directed her cold almond-shaped green eyes at the boy – the same as his daddy’s. “Don’t call me that, McLaggen.” She hissed. “What do you want?”
“Well, I would have asked you to go out with me –”
“No.”
The boy sighed disappointedly before straightening. “But I’m also curious about your little brother. A Malfoy-Potter too, isn’t he?”
Eltanin lifted his head up. “Yeah, I am.”
McLaggen turned towards him. He assessed his features for a moment, ugly eyes travelling from his white-blond hair to his grey eyes until he sneered. “You look like a Malfoy.” He remarked distastefully.
“And?” he asked with a scowl, not liking the mocking tone the other boy used.
“Your dad is a Death Eater, little boy.” He sneered. “I wouldn’t be proud if I were you.”
He frowned. “What are you talking about?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Your Dad is a Death Eater, little Malfoy, didn’t you know? Pity Harry Potter had fallen from grace by choosing to love a man…”
“Some says he’s been enchanted by Malfoy.” Muttered the girl next to him but they all heard it anyway.
McLaggen shrugged. “Father said Potter had always acted like a swotty little nancy boy, so I doubt it.”
Lily huffed angrily before standing up. “What do you want, McLaggen?” she spat. “Say what you want to say and leave us alone!”
McLaggen grinned. “I was just curious, love. What? Can’t I be interested in your family? You’re always so private –”
“No, you cannot.” She replied dryly. “And take my fathers’ names out of your mouth.”
Parkinson laid a hand on McLaggen’s chest before he could retort. “Come on, leave them be.” She gave him and his sister a scornful look. “I told you they were going to be a waste of time and disappointment.”
********
Eltanin hadn’t understood what McLaggen meant until he started his history class with Professor Binns.
When he had first stepped into the school, he had been amazed by the grandeur and magic floating in the castle. Both his dad and daddy had always told him that Hogwarts was huge – greater than the modest but wealthy home Eltanin had spent his childhood in – but he hadn’t understood it until now. The ceiling seemed profound enough that he had to tilt his head back all the way to watch the Milky Way. He had read in Hogwarts: A History that the ceiling was charmed to look like that.
Eltanin had been extremely nervous about the house he was about to get sorted into. His sister was a Gryffindor, and he remembered how daddy had hold it over his father’s head because of a bet they made. They both had been so happy to hear the news.
He had wished to be a Slytherin like his dad, though his nerves had been for nothing: the moment the sorting hat grazed the hairs on his head, it had granted his wish. The hat hadn’t even hesitated for a moment! He had been so happy that he had immediately wrote to his father about it the moment he was back in his dormitory.
Both his parents had been proud of him.
Eltanin thought that nothing could make his week better…
When Professor Binns stated that the first chapter of his class was dedicated to the Second Wizarding War, Eltanin had shrugged. He knew about the war. His parents hadn’t always talked about it, but they had broached the subject once and explained to him everything he needed to know.
So he knew his daddy had been a hero – but he knew this information since he was small. Because his daddy always attended the ceremony for the anniversary of the war, which takes place on the second of May, a day declared as a national holiday. He hadn’t learnt anything new.
He had also been made aware of the bad guys – the Death Eaters. They had chosen the nose-less bald man’s side; they had been his followers. His daddy had landed himself in St Mungo’s a few times to catch them, as it was the Aurors’ job to stop highly dangerous criminals like them. He also knew that his father had made a mistake when he was young and had chosen their side. He knew about all of that.
He hadn’t counted on what exactly it meant to be a Death Eater, however. He hadn’t known that Death Eaters had tortured children or that they coerced wizards and witches. He hadn’t been made aware of the fact that most Slytherins had sided with a man who wanted to kill Muggleborns and Half-bloods purely for their lack of purebloodness. Half-bloods… Eltanin had frowned when he realised that he himself is a half-blood…
And his dad had been a Death Eater. It had been a tough pill to swallow to realise that, technically, his father had, once upon a time, wished for people like Eltanin to die.
He had been extremely upset at this discovery, but unfortunately, it hadn’t been the only piece of information he would discover about his dad.
*******
Then.
For nearly five years the thought of his father had been a source of comfort and of inspiration. Whenever someone had told him he was like James, he had glowed with pride inside. And now... now he felt cold and miserable at the thought of him. (OoTP)
Now.
Him being a Slytherin didn’t go unnoticed among the school, of course. Eltanin lost count of how many times people whispered his first name – how many times they mumbled that he was Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy’s son – but especially, how many times the following question was asked: was Harry Potter cursed by Draco Malfoy to have him?
This question bothered Eltanin because yes – his daddy had carried him, and it wasn’t common in the Wizarding World to be birthed by a wizard rather than a witch, and it was apparently dangerous to do so – but he couldn’t understand why they would ask this question.
His parents loved each other – a bit too much sometimes that it was honestly disgusting. Dad always reached out to Daddy whenever he could and always gave him stupid kisses that made him roll his eyes more than once. Daddy always smiled brighter when he would see him. His dad was a professional Quidditch player – a chaser – for Puddlemere United and during his trainings – including for the English National Quidditch team – his daddy would always encourage him and help him pack up lunch despite having house elves at home. He had never complained about doing it even when he had to wake up earlier than usual. He had never forgotten to do it either – sometimes he even anticipated it, and Dad would always whisper something in his ear that would turn him red like a tomato.
His daddy might not be jumping in front of a camera every time there was a journalist when they would hang out – he always tried to avoid them actually – but he never cared about whether the Daily Prophet would see him with Dad. So it wasn’t as if there hadn’t been a few pictures of the family together before Eltanin’s arrival at Hogwarts.
So why were people asking this strange question?
He knew who could give him an insight.
Professor Longbottom.
When Eltanin had finally been able to find enough time to go to the greenhouse, he had turned into a ball of anxiety. Uncle Nev was the nicest uncle out of all, always so soft and patient, but he didn’t know how Professor Longbottom was. Eltanin had yet to meet him but from what his sister had said, he seemed to be excellent. It’s just… he didn’t know if it was appropriate to disrupt him at school for such matter.
Discreetly hiding behind a tree, he looked around him to make sure no one had seen him and opened the Marauder’s map. It had been embarrassing to beg Teddy to lend it to him for the day and it hadn’t been easy. Teddy was like his big brother. His parents had made him promise to look after him and help him out of trouble, so the Metamorphmagus had been reluctant to pass him the map. Eltanin hadn’t given a clear explanation as to why he wanted it, however, and felt embarrassed to say the truth. So he had resorted to stealing it from his bag when he wasn’t looking before sprinting down the greenhouses.
Taking a deep breath, he muttered the incantation and immediately sought out the great lake. Noticing his own name on the map, he smiled a little before his eyes searched upwards and there he caught Professor Longbottom’s name in a room inside the greenhouse, all alone.
Perfect.
By diligently following the map, he carefully stepped inside the correct greenhouse, almost suffocating with heat before seeing the stairs at the far corner. When he reached the top, he noticed that the wooden door was decorated with various plants he couldn’t name but with the way they were dancing against it like worms it brough a shiver of disgust in him.
Just when he was about to knock, the door opened. A blond and chubby man appeared with a smile on his face – which widened at the sight of him.
“Oh! Hello, munchkin!”
Eltanin felt himself flush. “Hello, Uncle Nev. Please don’t call me that.”
Uncle Neville grinned before opening his door. “Get in, get in. It’s hot in the greenhouse.”
Eltanin shyly shuffled on his feet and entered the warm office. It was cozy like the Burrow but with more plants and…yellowish.
Uncle Nev closed the door and gestured for him to take a seat which he politely obliged. It was a tad too big for him, so his feet dangled a little.
“Would you like some tea?”
Eltanin shook his head, his nervousness twisting his stomach painfully. Despite the warm atmosphere, he felt nauseous as the questions swirling inside his brain, begging for an answer.
“How have your classes been –”
“Did Dad curse Daddy?”
Uncle Nev froze, blinking at him. “Err…What? Like…generally speaking?”
“Generally?” shrieked Eltanin.
Uncle Nev shook his head. “No, I mean…Would you like to tell me why you would ask me this question?”
Eltanin swayed his feet, his hands clenching on his lap. “It’s just… I want to know more about my parents.”
The frown turned into an obvious confusion. “You can ask to your parents directly if you want to know more about their relationship, El.”
Eltanin gave a frustrated cry. “I know but…” he puffed, his lips vibrating with a buzzing sound. “It’s…I want to know more about father. And not from someone in the family.”
Uncle Nev arranged a stack of papers on his desk while still standing and frowning. “Why?”
Eltanin hesitated, but he realised that there was no way out if he wanted his answer. “It’s just…people are saying that father cursed daddy to have me, but I know it’s not true!” he quickly added, noticing the look on his professor’s face. “I just want to know why they would think that.”
There was a pause as Uncle Nev shifted with a look of discomfort on his face. “You…you probably know about your father’s past –”
Eltanin nodded. “Yes I know. He had been a… a… a Death-Eater.” he spat the words with difficulty. “Is it because of that only?”
Uncle Nev’s eyes turned elsewhere. “Not exactly.”
There was a silence after that. Eltanin expected him to continue but he remained evasive.
“So?” he pressed urgently.
Uncle Nev sighed. “It’s probably not my place to tell you, munchkin. You could try talking about it to your parents –”
“No.” he said petulantly, and he didn’t care if he was acting like a baby. He wanted his answer now. “I won’t be seeing them until Christmas and as I said, I want to learn about them through someone outside of the family.”
Uncle Nev bit his lip in hesitation before sighing. “Very well.” He started, then turned towards him. “I hope I’m not going behind Harry’s back –”
“I will not tell him.”
Uncle Nev seemed uncomfortable at the idea. “No, it’s not good to keep secrets like these from your parents, El. But I understand the feeling of wanting to know more about your parents. When I was your age, I bothered anyone who could have known my parents because I was too shy to breach the subject with my grandmother.”
Eltanin smiled at that. He was happy someone understood him. He wondered about Uncle Nev’s story. As far as he knew, Uncle Nev was happily married to Hannah Abbott and their daughter was soon to attend Hogwarts next year but now that he thought about it, he doesn’t really know about his parents. He wondered what happened.
Uncle Nev cleared his throat as he sat down. “Harry and Draco’s relationship had been…complicated, munchkin. Volatile, even. They hated each other when they were your age and all throughout Hogwarts.”
He felt like he already heard it somewhere. “Why?”
Neville looked down. “I don’t really know when it started but… your father Draco had been less than stellar with him, munchkin. With most of us. It’s your dad who gave me the confidence to stand up for myself and to him, you know?”
Eltanin blinked, listening intently.
“It was notoriously known that they despised each other. I believe your father had been jealous of your dad’s skill and popularity, so he always pulled his pigtail in a way.” He chuckled softly. “He wasn’t nice to his friends either. He would always find our weakness and use that against us.”
Eltanin looked down, suddenly feeling his cheeks flame. “Did he… did he bully you?”
He hated bullies. People like McLaggen and Parkinson who would not stop bothering his big sister needed to go. Since he had arrived here, he caught Lily pushing away or ignoring the two a few times. Thankfully, he hadn’t made such an enemy yet though he wondered if it was just a matter of time. At least his friend Scott Finnegan was always by his side despite him being a Hufflepuff. He could always count on him if anything happens.
Uncle Nev smiled softly. “You have to understand that no one is perfect, El. Every one of us have made mistakes – we were all teenagers after all – and some had lots of trouble to deal with. Your father hadn’t been a good boy no – but I know he is a good man now.” Then he snorted. “If Harry’s glowing face is anything to go by – it’s obvious he’s taking care of him well and of you too.”
Eltanin bit his lip. “They really didn’t like each other.”
Uncle Nev nodded. “No, not at all. Your daddy tended to avoid him whenever he could but sometimes they duelled in corridors. I know your dad had once created badges to mock him, or even spread false rumours about him. One time, he had participated in a squad to tackle down your daddy’s group dedicated to fighting V…” Uncle Nev took a deep breath. “Voldemort.” He said with a rush. “But again, it’s all in the past now.”
Eltanin didn’t answer, his mind trying to grasp what exactly he had learnt. The image of his wonderful father which had brought so much comfort over the last years now seemed distasteful in the face of the truth he has just been told. He thought he knew his father. It was difficult to attach the etiquette of a mean, bad boy uncle Nev had described to the gentle father he had. Eltanin had always felt more comfortable with him than with his daddy mainly because his daddy was hard to read. He loved Eltanin but coldly, in a sense. He always smiled when he saw him, ruffling his hair with a grin but it was Father who had been more open to show him unfiltered affection and care.
It seemed impossible to think of his father as someone like McLaggen. It felt insulting.
“Talk to your parents, munchkin.” advised Uncle Nev, cutting through the mess in his head. “They would provide you with more information than I ever could.”
*******
Then.
…“And,” said Harry doggedly, determined to say everything that was on his mind now he was here, “he kept looking at the girls by the lake, hoping they were watching him!”
“Oh, well, he always made a fool of himself whenever Lily was around,” said Sirius, shrugging. “He couldn’t stop himself from showing off whenever he got near her.”
“How come she married him?” Harry asked miserably. “She hated him!”
“Nah, she didn’t,” said Sirius.
“She started going out with him in seventh year,” said Lupin.
“Once James had deflated his head a bit,” said Sirius.
“And stopped hexing people just for the fun of it,” said Lupin. (OoTP)
Now.
Eltanin didn’t know how to broach the subject to his parents. He hadn’t even noticed that Christmas was around the corner. He had spent most of his time wandering inside the castle and doing his homework with Scott, preparing for his exams. After his conversation with Uncle Nev, he had sulked for a while, still trying to wrap his mind around what has been said but with the mountain of homework waiting for him he hadn’t had time to spare some time to think about it.
However, since he now came back home for the holidays, those thoughts whirled back into his mind in full force.
He set to observe his parents at dinner. His daddy occasionally cooked since he was the most skilled out of the two in the kitchen and today wasn’t an exception. The teriyaki chicken stir fry was really delicious and judging by the humming sound of his father, the red wine he bought seemed to mar well with it. But this wasn’t what interested Eltanin.
Instead, he observed his daddy carefully and the way he interacted with his father. He didn’t notice anything unusual. His daddy would pass the salt when he was requested to do so, listening intently to Lily who was gracing them with the tale of one of Peeves’ mischief. When father tried to discreetly put more food into daddy’s plate, he noticed it judging by the quick flicker of his eyes but the smile on his face told him that he was happy about it.
It was only when daddy started to clean the table as his father and his sister drifted to the living room that Eltanin took his chance. With a nervous breath, he gathered the plates on the table, and brough them to the sink.
“Thank you.” Daddy said with a small smile.
As Eltanin placed the salt and clutters in the right drawers, he wondered if he should start with a question. But there were so many in his head, he didn’t know which one to choose: Why did you start hating each other? How did you fall in love with him? Why? Was father really that bad? What –
“You seem quiet.” His father remarqued softly, cutting through his clouded thoughts as he scrubbed a plate vigorously with his sponge.
Eltanin knew it was his way of asking about him. He swallowed hesitantly. “Daddy…can I ask you something?”
He nodded, dipping the plate into a bucket of water before placing it next to the sink. Eltanin concentrated on the water as it slid down.
“Yes, of course.”
Eltanin’s heartbeat quickened as nervousness churned in his stomach, the anticipation making his throat tight. That was it. He had to know. It was eating him for months now.
“Didfatherforceyoutobewithhim?” he asked in one breath.
His daddy blinked. “I’m sorry I haven’t heard correctly, El.”
Looking at his feet, Eltanin took a deep breath before repeating his question: “Did father force you to be with him?”
His daddy turned towards him; face twisted into confusion. “What? What do you mean?”
Eltanin looked at the door to make sure no one was listening before he muttered. “Did dad force you into a relationship with him?”
Daddy looked at him with a flabbergasted face. “What? No! Of course, not.” He dropped the half clean plate before turning towards him. “Where did you get this idea from?”
He cleaned his hands with a handkerchief as Eltanin bit his lip, eyes traveling to the slippers with cat ears his daddy wore. “I just…I heard things at school.”
He felt a heavy stare on him, those green eyes piercing through him like an X-ray before his daddy sighed softly. “I see.” He cleared his throat then turned back to cleaning the dishes. “No, your father didn’t force me to be with him.” Then he smiled a little. “Oh, he was forceful, that’s for sure. But no, I was totally willing. I still am.” Then he blushed.
Eltanin smiled at this. “How did you get together, then? When?”
“We didn’t much like each other when we were at Hogwarts. Your father was less than kind to me.”
Eltanin settled on a chair. “Yes, I know. Uncle Nev told me about it.”
Harry blinked. “Right.” Then he continued, “But, during the Battle of Hogwarts I saved his life twice and Draco always felt like he was indebted to me. He hated that.” He grinned, scrubbing the last plate. “But after what happened to him with Voldemort, your father’s ego deflated a bit, and he became increasingly more mature as time went. I contacted him when I was a newbie Auror hunting down the remaining Death-Eaters and needed their name. From that, our relationship bloomed.”
Eltanin frowned. “I thought you hated him. Why did you save his life?”
His daddy smiled gently at him. “When someone is fighting for their life – you don’t care whether you hate them or not, El. If you have the ability to spare them – you take it. That’s how I’ve always been.” Then his face turned dark, into that unreadable shadow Eltanin had encountered a few times. “I’ve learnt from the start that it was better to save a spare than kill it.”
Eltanin accepted that certain things were too complex for him to understand. Perhaps when he would be older…
“Why was he forceful?”
“Hmm?” his daddy turned towards him once more, wiping his hands clean.
“You said that he didn’t force you but was forceful.” Eltanin frowned. “What does it mean?”
His daddy grinned, the mask slipping from his face. “Your father tried to get my attention exactly like he had done at school. He would keep track of me, ask me to dinner, force himself into my space no matter how much I turned him down.” He shook his head. “But when I witnessed how gentle he was with Teddy…” he blushed. “I think it was when I started to fancy him. I didn’t even know I was gay at that time; El. Let’s say that Draco kissed the knowledge into me.”
Eltanin chuckled. “I love dad’s kisses.”
Daddy sighed dreamily. “I love them too.” Then he turned towards Eltanin once more. “However, I want you to be careful with what you hear at Hogwarts, El.” He stated with a solemn tone. “It’s not wise to dwell on people’s opinion – even if they are the majority. It doesn’t mean it’s always true. And if you have any question about the past, know that your father and I would answer your questions.”
Eltanin jumped from his chair and approached his daddy. After hesitating for a split second, he wrapped his arms around him, his head pressing against his daddy’s flat stomach and nodded. He felt a gentle hand settle on his shoulder as another ruffled his hair.
Eltanin grinned.
“El! Daddy!” called Cassy’s high-pitched voice, and both turned towards the door. “There is the Muppet on TV!”
Eltanin broke from the warm hug. “We’re coming!” then he turned towards his Daddy. “Can we make some popcorns, Daddy?”
“Sure.” His daddy said, then he hesitantly reached out to caress his cheek. Eltanin blinked. “We can make them together if you want. It’s easy and fun, you will see.” He took some sugar. “Let’s make your dad’s favourite.”
Eltanin jumped on his chair to be at the same level on his daddy and slid up his sleeves, listening to his instructions diligently.
Yeah. His parents might have hated each other but as he looked into the fond eyes of his daddy, he knew the love shimmering between them was strong enough for both him and his sister to be conceived.
Fin.