One's True Nature

26

James had truly enjoyed the last three days with his brother, playing games in the house, getting into mischeif, it was like the old days again before school had so seperated them. He hadn't seen Scorpious around and part of him had started to feel guilty for just allowing him to be cut off from his best friend. At first, it hadn't really bothered him but after two days Scorpious not being around was really starting to ruin his good time.

"James, can we go pick on the girls again?" Albus asked innocently.

"No." James said sharpily and it took a few moments for Albus to ask another question.

"What should we do now?"

` "I don't know." James was lying, he knew exactly what he should do.

"Come on, let's go swim in dad's special bath."

"No, Albus."

"Uh, you're no fun James, you're being grumpy!" Albus said in a huff.

"Albus?"

"What?"

"Shut up." James turned down the hallway toward his room and then he heard crying. He stopped at what he knew was Scorpious' guest room, since Albus had forgotten his friend, he slept in James' room since coming home, leaving Scorpious alone. A stab of guilt hit James hard. He opened the door slowly. He knew that Scorpious had probably not heard them come in because the boy's head was on his arms which were across his knees as he sat in the middle of the bed. James guilt turned to a sharp pain in his heart. His mother's funeral was in two days, he couldn't go home, his dad was as much a wreck as he was. James hushed Albus with a finger.

"Are you alright?" James asked softly as he sat on the bed, his younger brother standing at the side of the bed fearful and a bit perplexed by the strange events unfolding before him. He stood silently as James had asked him to.

"No, please leave me alone." Scorpious said through a sniff and a tough wheezing breath. James was unmoved, but now he felt even worse. "Just go ok, I don't need anything." Scorpious Malfoy was a bad actor if he wanted James to believe his words. Albus climbed on the bed, almost falling off until James noticed him and helped him up so that he would not fall.

"Why you crying?" Albus asked innocently. Scorpious was so thrown off by the sound of the voice he looked up from his knees, showing James the extent of his tears and sleeplesness. James wanted to hug the boy and it was the strangest emotion because he wasn't fond of the boy at all.

"I just want-I-just want-I wanna go home." And Scorpious returned his face to it's previous position. Albus put a hand on the boy's hair sweetly.

"You can't go home?" Albus asked curious. The boy with the hand in his hair shook his head without lifting it. "Well, don't cry ok?" Albus seemed like a mother and James had to resist the urge to interupt him by laughing. "You want me to ask someone if you could go home?" James imediately knew he had to say something.

"Albus will you come with me for a minute?" James spoke getting up from the bed. "We'll be back Malfoy." He spoke as he helped his brother off the bed. "I'll bring you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry." Scorpious' voice was so weak it sounded like he whistled the words.

"I know, I'll bring something anyway. We'll be back in a few minutes." James left the room followed by Albus who closed the door behind him a strange expression on his face. James was surprised that Albus kept quiet for the short walk to the kitchen. He had to think of a way to explain his plan to Albus so the boy of seven could understand just how much he was important without confusing him with the details of a friendship he did not remember, for now.

He spent several minutes just thinking around the kitchen as he picked out light foods that could easily be eaten by those who lacked an appitite. He set everything on a tray and then sat it on the table. He took a deep breath and Albus was waiting patiently at his side.

"Albus, you need to listen to me ok?" James looked down at his confused brother.

"'Kay!" The boy said eagerly and James figured that's because he thought they might be planning a trick.

"Albus, that boy in there needs you're help, ok?" James looked for an indication of understanding.

"Me? What coul' I do?" Albus' voice was confused.

"You're a nice kid, Al, he's very sad and you can help." James huffed, he felt like a fool.

"Why me, why is he sad?" And James was wondering if at some point in the future he could make Scorpious owe him.

"Bad people took his mommy away, he's alone right now and doesn't have a friend." James picked up the tray and started to walk. "Can you be his friend?" James voice was coaxing.

"Yeah." Albus said cheerfully. "But-what if he doesn't want to be my friend?"

"Trust me Al, ok? He will want you." James talked a bit more, including telling Albus how to try and get Scorpious to eat some food. The kid was very good at understanding things, James figured as they stopped at the door, this seven year-old boy was the right man for the job. After Albus entered the room, James closed the door and cast a listening charm that would go into his room if anything happened, so that his brother wasn't abandoned in case Scorpious wasn't in a pliable mood, though judging by the boy's reaction to Al earlier, he was only going to respond to Al.

"Ummmm, Sc-Scorp-I'm sorry, what's your name again?" Albus asked as he set the tray down on the bedside table. He struggled to get up on the bed and again, couldn't do it. "Ummm, Scorpos, could you help me?" And Albus was a bit surprised when an arm snaked out to grab on as he pulled himself up. "You're not crying so much anymore, that's good." And absently he kissed scorpious' temple and the boy shivered. "I will be your friend ok?" Scorpious at this looked up, teary eyed and nodded. "Kay, that's good." Albus' was too upbeat to get more than a simple response from his new friend who was still in a very poor mood. "Sometimes when you're crying, a hug is kinda good. Can I hug you?"

"Why?" Scorpious was so confused by this that he couldn't just say yes even though he wanted a hug, from anyone, forever until he became a part of the person hugging. Albus being seven, made it so awkward, but seven or not, Albus still reached him the same Way. "I guess, I'd like that." He ansewered so quietly he wasn't sure he said it. Mere seconds later he felt small arms around his neck and then he moved his legs so Albus could sit on his lap and hug him tighter. He couldn't help shivering and crying a bit more.

"No crying." Albus said gently hugging him. "No crying, cause then I will cry too." And for the first time in days Scorpious let out a sound that sounded like a laugh.

"I like hugging you." Albus said out of the blue. "You're warm."

"Errr-" Scorpious remembered when Albus had first told him that. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Albus said innocently, not questioning the hesitation in Scorpious voice.

It was almost an hour before Albus complained of being hungry. Scorpious passed food between them and he decided he could stand to eat one of the small cakes and drink some hot cocoa.


Draco Malfoy was a coward, he knew that about himself as he had avoided Harry since he'd been back from the hospital two days ago. He didn't how he was supposed to be, this younger Harry was so off putting. He couldn't meet the man's eyes. He felt insecure for the first time in his life as it related to something he wanted. He couldn't help how important Harry was to him and he couldn't help the feeling that Harry wouldn't love him anymore after a time. After all, he couldn't see Draco's thoughts about him and Draco had taken away most of Harry's first love memories save some hints. He stood at the front of Potter's modest home and looked out at the stars, feeling like he was those starts, reaching out through their light to be noticed.

"Why are you hiding from me?" Harry's voice was soft and warm. Harry hugged Draco from behind.

'Oh God' Draco shut his eyes, he was such a girl. He let himself wash away in the touch. Harry seemed to know that Draco couldn't speak so he started talking instead.

"I don't like people that hide from me Draco. If I'm going to love you. I need to see you, I need to know you. I need to look into your eyes." Harry began turning Draco. "Look at me Draco." He turned Draco around and despite his request the older man was looking down at his feet and looked rather small. Tears were spilling from his eyes. Then Harry listened intently as the man spoke.

"I can't," Draco tried to breathe. "You don't know how I feel about-" That wasn't what he meant. Harry didn't want to get in the way of him speaking, he had also decided that if Draco said anything stupid, he could forgive it. "I want you to-" Draco's frustration increased. "I must look so old." Draco wished he was dead. He knew he was being stupid, but his emotions were confusing him. "Harry, I wish you could understand what it's like to carry these memories of something the other person can't remember." Draco breathed deep.

Harry watched Draco, lonely, but unwilling to trust him. Harry thought it was cute, sad, but cute. He waited for his cue to close the distance between them. When it seemed Draco had stopped talking, he did just that. Draco still unwilling to meet his eyes and Harry eventually forced him to do so, which elicited more tears. Harry kissed Draco, softly, but enough to surprise him and Draco stared back into the green eyes of the man who was hugging him.

"I push too hard sometimes, sorry." Harry spoke softly.

"What?" Draco paled, a little confused by Harry's words. He couldn't possibly remember any of that. Pushing Draco's momentary confusion away, Harry lead the man back into the house. He was a teenager again, teenagers have needs.


James finally checked up on his brother and Scorpious after finishing the last of his holiday homework. School was in three days and James always liked the last minute pressure of getting his work done. He walked down the long hall and opened the door to the room they were in. He wasn't surprised to find them both sleeping. He smiled softly as he saw what his brother had done. He was laying half on Scorpious and half on the bed, but the hug was protective and James understood now how much Scorpious would eventually mean to his brother when he became his old self again. He went to pull the covers over them when Albus moved.

"You should go to sleep." James said in a whisper. Albus made to move and get up. "No, don't get up, you sleep here so you can be here when he wakes up, ok?"

"Kay!" Albus said in a too loud voice and James hushed him as he watched Scorpious shift at the noise. When he was certain that he could not disturb the boy, he pulled the covers over the two and left the room, feeling like he wasn't so bad after all.


Harry got Draco into their bedroom, which Draco had abandoned for the last two days. He didn't feel like he could face this situation. Draco started to panic. Harry pulled him to the bed. He was trying so hard to resist that Harry was becoming annoyed.

"No need to act like a prude Malfoy." And it was the way he said it, Malfoy sneered at him. 'There you are' Harry smirked inwardly. "It's not like you haven't done this before, what are you, a girl?" Harry watched confusion and lack of confidence replace themselves with anger and indignation. "Come on Malfoy, for Merlin's sake am I going to have to do everything myself?"

Draco closed the distance in rage, if he could have kissed any harder, he wasn't sure how. Harry had trouble adjusting to the furious kiss. 'Good serves him right. Draco thought as he pushed Harry back onto the bed and kissed him, pulling off the man's shirt in the process. Soon they were both naked, not focused on anything but the lust of it all. Draco sucked hard on Harry's neck getting rewarded with a desperate moan. Harry was in heaven as he writhed under Draco.

Draco was still mad, he wanted to punish Harry, so he did the only thing he could do. Using a lubrication he entered Harry and Harry didn't object, despite not being asked. Draco slammed into him so hard, Harry saw spots and the sting on his backside was like needles. Draco repeated this for almost ten minutes until they both shuddered from orgasam. Harry sighed when Draco collapsed on top of him.

'Well at least that Malfoy temper is good for something.' He thought as he kissed Draco's hair. Draco pulled himself so that he was beside Harry.

"Good night Potter." Draco said dreamily

"Good night Malfoy." Harry said softly pulling the covers up over both of them. It would be an interesting day tomorrow.


End Chapter 26
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A/N: I have a few things to clear up. Harry didn't have any of his memories of the fight with Rasputin removed, only Albus did. So Harry has all of his memories, he's just younger for now. Albus will be a bit more of an interest because he did have his memories of that fight removed and it caused some side effects. Ron has a decision coming up and Harry will change his life completely. Please review and I hope you liked my love scene. I always imagine that between those two, it'd be angry a lot.