Heart of Lies
Chapter Two: Truth, or just a clue?
Fenrir had finally gotten to his cave, having Apparated to the edge of the wards surrounding it, and then walking the long path to the hidden sanctuary. More like ran though, as the precious weight in his arms was still shuddering in pain, and he wanted to get his mate to his Healer as soon as possible.
"Athena!" He called out, not caring that it was in the middle of the night and that his pack was sleeping. His mate was in pain, and that was all that mattered, now that they were on safe territory.
"I'm coming, Fenrir!" The elderly woman came rushing from her room, a room which was a tunnel in the cave with a door put onto it. The cave's inside was full of them, and all families had their own space. There were of course the guards sitting around in what was known as their common "room", prepared just inside in the case that there was an attack.
As she came to a stop in front of him, she stared in awe at the young man in her Alpha's, her son in her heart, arms. It was a beautiful person; pale and with flawless skin, a slim built with a slightly muscular tint to it, long legs, dark unruly curls and a gorgeous face with full red lips, high cheekbones and a small button-nose. Then she saw the lightening bolt scar and gasped.
"By Merlin, Fenrir! Is it really him?" Athena couldn't help but stare in shock. What was going to happen now? The Alpha couldn't very well remain on the side of the war that wanted his mate dead. He would perish himself if he did, and they needed him more than they needed the Dark Lord. Perhaps the boy could change things just as well as Voldemort would have been able to? He was the Golden Boy of the light after all.
Fenrir nodded briskly and hurried inside the cave and into his own lair, laying his precious cargo down on a pile of the softest furs they had. Athena, having trailed behind him, stood just outside his door, waiting for him to make a gesture for her to come inside. There was no disrespect allowed for the Alpha, no matter how close you were to him. Alpha or not, he needed and deserved the small bit of privacy a sanctuary could give.
As he beckoned her inside, she walked up to the bed and took a second look at the boy. There were bruises on the boy, and on an even closer inspection, she realised that he was quite malnourished. Would a person with great influence really be treated like that? Wouldn't he be pampered like a prince?
"Well?" Fenrir asked impatiently. He had just gotten his mate and he was not going to loose him. Thus, whatever, or whomever, had happened that made the boy scream better watch out. He wasn't going to allow anything to take his mate from him. Not now. Not ever.
"There are a few bruises on him, so I'll have to scan him to make sure that there are no internal damages. He looks a bit malnourished, so we will have to make sure that he eats regularly. Preferably a lot of vegetables and meat. He looks a bit short for his age, although that could be genetic. If you will please stand back, Fenrir, I need to scan him properly." She said hurriedly. Fenrir growled testily at her, but still took a few steps back, only to take one forth when she took out her wand.
"Be careful with him." He warned, controlling his impulses to rip the wand and hand off of the woman just barely. Deep inside he knew that she wasn't going to hurt his mate, but it was still hard to see a wand pointed towards his intended. He growled again. This was going to be a real test on his nerves. But he knew it was going to get worse, with the war and all, so he bit his tongue, stayed back and just watched the glowing light from the wand work over Harry's small figure worriedly.
~O~
Dearest Harry,
In the case that I am dead, this letter won't come to you until your seventeenth birthday. I do hope that I am alive and have told you everything, but in the case that I have not… Happy Birthday, my darling.
Though, that is sadly not the purpose with this letter, no matter how much I wish it was. No, my dear, this is about me and a mistake I did long ago. A lie I fell for. A plan I executed. And it was all so pointless in the end.
But allow me to start at the beginning, please. When I got to Hogwarts, I met a bunch of wonderful friends. Especially one boy, a boy named Severus Snape. We were the best of friends, and remained so through our school years and then out into the real world and even into our married lives. I married James and he married a man named Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort.
As I am not sure how much you do know, I'll tell you the basics first, before I must confess. Tom Riddle was a powerful wizard, as well as cunning and intelligent. After he graduated from Hogwarts, fifteen or so years before we did, he started inventing. Spells, potions, machines. He was a smart man with a lot of ambition, and people knew he was going to get into the history books. When he started working for the ministry and quickly climbed the ranks, a certain someone grew worried. He did not want someone to interfere with his plan to take over.
This man was Albus Dumbledore. He was the headmaster back in our school years. I can only hope that he is no longer, but knowing that bastard, he probably is.
Anyhow, shortly after we both had married our spouses, Dumbledore started spreading lies about Tom. He said that he was a Dark Lord and was after the muggleborns. Tom and the crowd paid little attention to this. He hadn't ever done anything bad against the muggleborns, only suggesting that they got a little more education, so that they'd be able to adapt to the magical world easier, and Dumbledore was getting a little old. They blamed his outbursts on his age.
Anyhow, around that time, Severus came to me with fantastic news. He was pregnant! Male pregnancies are quite rare, but he had been blessed with a baby growing inside of him. Tom was ecstatic as well. We all were.
But as the pregnancy progressed into its fifth month, Tom changed quite suddenly. Abruptly. He started a group of followers, and named them the Death Eaters. A group which, suspiciously enough, only consisted of people that the rumours said had been studying the Dark arts. They started attacking muggle villages, destroying many lives and did everything Dumbledore had said that they were doing just a year previously.
Dumbledore suddenly had the public's support, and he started an order as well, naming them the Order of the Phoenix. I'm sorry to say that I was one of them. Believing his lies and manipulations, I started spying on my friend, who had not noticed much a difference in his husband. He had changed quite a lot as well, in fact.
A few months after their son was born, I found out that I was barren and would never be able to have a child myself. As I held the baby boy during his Naming Ceremony, being his Godmother, I lost myself in the green eyes that were a bit similar to my own. How I wanted a child, a perfect little boy or girl with James' and my features blended into one.
So when Dumbledore came to me with a plan and asked me to execute it, I knew I could not say no. As the war grew bloodier and more dangerous, Severus, still believing me to be on his side, asked me to take care of his son. He said that Tom had changed, that he didn't remember anything, didn't remember them. I should have known Severus was starting to get out of the influence of the spell I am sure Dumbledore had him under, but at that time, all I wanted was a child. So I took it, and Obliviated my friend, just as instructed. I took the child home and, with Dumbledore's help, I implanted a few constructed memories of me being pregnant and having a baby into the minds of everyone close to me. To everyone, even Severus, the boy was now my son. They all believed that you were the son of James and me.
My little Harry. I am so sorry, my darling. Please know that I love you, whether I am dead or alive, your biological parent or not, and that I do regret having committed such deeds. Every child deserves their parents. I know that now.
I've started realising my mistakes lately, and I think Dumbledore is onto me. I am spelling this letter to be delivered around your seventeenth birthday, in case I have not had the chance to tell you myself. I can only hope that you are safe and with your real parents by now. I love you as my own - please do not ever doubt that. I wish I could apologise to my friend, and return you to him, but as it is now, that is not a possibility. I guess I'll have to wait and see what the future holds.
No matter what though, I love you and I am so very sorry for everything.
Love,
Lily Potter nee Evans
Severus stared blankly at the paper, before he started shaking in rage and grief, and his hands turned into fists, crunching the letter still in his hands. Tom wrapped his arms around him. He tried his best to contain his anger himself. Dumbledore had a lot to answer to. And they still needed to find their son. And after that, he would never let either of them out of his sight again. Dumbledore would pay and he would get their son back to them.
~O~
"Well?" Fenrir growled. He was getting more and more impatient as the minutes trickled past.
"He is fine, although quite exhausted. As he turned seventeen, I would say this is the result of him coming into his inheritance. As his birthday began, his powers began to grow. Any and all restriction spells on his magic broke and he will soon reach his full potential. It takes a lot on the body to adapt to the sudden amount of power, and being quite powerful to begin with, the boy will be a force to be reckoned with when he's adapted. Let him rest and make sure he eats something when he wakes up. Other than that, I would ask you to stop worrying, but I know how hard it is to see one's mate in pain. I'll get started on some nutrient potions. Please call for me when he wakes up."
Fenrir nodded at the woman, barely noticing her leaving the room and closing the door behind her, as he crawled down next to Harry in the pile of furs, and drew the boy closer to him. The scent from and the knowledge that he had his mate in his arms calmed his nerves, and he fell asleep shortly thereafter. When the boy whimpered in his sleep, Fenrir drew him closer to his body, still asleep as well, but his body working on the instinct to protect his mate.
Athena smiled at them, as she tiptoed inside and left the nutrient potions and a note on the table next to the door. Maybe, just maybe, this would work out well. She had no idea what was ahead of them though and how long they would have to go before they were all well. The only thing she could be sure of, was that everything was about to change.
A/N: Thanks you SO much for all of the reviews, and I'm sorry for the long delay. I've been sick and when I was fine, I had a sea of school work to swim through. :O I hope to get out more regular updates now though. :)
Everything that I had intended to happen in this chapter, didn't happen, so those things will be in the next chapter. :)
Please review and/or rate :)