The Burden of Memory

Authors Note: Many thanks go out to my brilliant beta Alexandra.

Chapter 5 Family Dinner

“He what?” Harry shouted, nearly spilling his tea.

“Calm down, Harry. I’m sure he wasn’t serious,” she replied levelly.

“Calm down? Calm down? This memory-less freak is asking my cousin – who he just met – to marry him and you want me to calm down?” Harry was exasperated. The news had come out of nowhere and Lara was just treating it like it was nothing.

She laughed lightly. “In his defense, he technically met me the day before you did. So he’s known me longer than you.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “The point is I haven’t met him. How can he hope you’ll say yes before he even meets the whole family?”

“Harry, you’re being silly. I didn’t even say yes,” she replied.

“What does your father think about all this?” Harry huffed. He was angry. The nerve of this guy, trying to move in on his cousin. It just rankled him.

“I haven’t told him yet,” she replied honestly.

“And Ron? What about Ron? He really likes you!” Harry grumbled, getting up and pacing the room.

Lara blushed deeply. “I like Ron too. He’s really sweet. But Dorian needs me,” she said wistfully.

“That’s a crummy reason to marry someone, Lara. Plus, Ron needs you too. He just broke up with Hermione and he’s hurting. You can’t just toss him aside,” he huffed.

Lara looked hurt. “I’m not! I like him, but you’re right… he did just break up with someone… and I don’t want to be the rebound girl.”

“Oh, so you’d rather be the rebound memory for Mr. Mystery?” Harry spat.

Lara made a sound that was halfway between and scream and a groan of frustration and leapt to her feet. “You listen to me Harry James Potter, if you think you can just show up in my life and push me around, you’ve got another thing coming. If I want to marry Dorian I will, and there is nothing you can do about it!” she yelled before storming out of Harry’s flat.

He heard the distinct sound of her slamming her own door across the way and winced. He hadn’t meant to piss her off; it just all seemed so sudden… and so wrong.

--

“She what?” Ron demanded.

“I know,” Harry said, shaking his head in dismay.

“I’ll kill the bastard!” he shouted. “What room is he in? I’ll smother him with a pillow!”

Harry tried to suppress a grin at the image of Ron doing just that. “She’ll come to her senses Ron, don’t worry. In the meantime, you had better turn up the wooing.”

Ron nodded. “Right. I really like her, Harry.”

“I know you do, which is why I trust you to win her heart. Just think, we could be brothers after all,” he added, patting Ron roughly on the back.

“Thanks for the heads up, Harry. Do you think I should go see her now?” he asked, looking over at the door.

Harry shook his head rapidly. “No, definitely not. I think she’s still pissed at me. Maybe tonight... you could take her to a movie or something.”

“Good idea,” he agreed and walked back over to the fireplace. “I’ll let you know how it goes,” he said, before flooing back to the Burrow.

He knew Ron had it in him to win over Lara; he just needed a little prompting. Meanwhile Harry needed to finally go to the hospital and meet the bloke who was trying to marry his unsuspecting cousin.

--

Harry wasted no time in apparating to the hospital. He wanted to get this over with before Lara decided to come back over to his flat, or worse, come to the hospital and warn the guy that he was coming.

He walked quickly through the lobby and to the elevator. It was just opening when he approached and he grinned at his good luck.

His grin faltered however when he saw Dr. Evans standing in the elevator. “I think Lara’s off this morning,” Henry said politely.

“I know, sir. I was actually hoping I could catch up with that special patient of hers,” he said hurriedly.

“Mr. Gray? What do you need him for?” Henry asked suspiciously.

“She just talks about him so much… and I thought…” Harry let his voice trail off.

Henry broke into a wide grin. “This wouldn’t be a visit to welcome him into the family would it, Harry?”

“Sir?” he asked perplexed.

“Dorian told me he asked Lara to marry him. It’s great isn’t it?” Henry asked enthusiastically.

“Yes, great,” Harry muttered. Apparently he could only count on Ron to help him talk some sense into her.

“Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait and congratulate him tonight with the rest of us. He was released this morning and he’s staying at my flat for the moment. We’ll be at Lara’s place for dinner tonight,” he added. “I was going to invite you over when I got off my shift.”

Harry sighed and nodded. “I’ll be there, sir.”

“I know how you feel, I feel the same way,” Henry said, clapping a soft hand on Harry’s shoulder.

“Yeah?” Harry asked, looking up hopefully. Maybe he wasn’t alone in this after all.

“You’ve only just met her and now you’ll be losing her. Once she has a husband she’ll have very little time for either of us,” Henry said solemnly.

Did no one think that this whole thing was rushed? “That’s exactly it,” Harry replied, feeling defeated.

“We’ll just have to be happy that she’s happy,” Henry sighed. “See you at seven?” he asked as they both walked from the elevator and back toward the lobby.

“Yes, you will. I look forward to finally meeting this mystery man,” Harry added with a wave.

“Oh, you’ll like him I’m sure. He’s very sweet and obviously smitten with your cousin,” Henry said with a laugh, and went back toward the patient rooms to complete his rounds.

--

Harry was dressed in black trousers and a slinky dark gray shirt. His hair wasn’t remotely tamed, but it was the best it was going to get without some serious magical assistance. He paced back and forth in his living room waiting for the clock to chime seven, but eventually gave up and decided to go over early.

He walked across the hall and knocked on Lara’s door.

She poked her head out and narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you going to behave?” she asked, not really giving him any leeway to say ‘no’.

“I promise,” he said with a grin.

She beamed at him and opened the door wider in order to hug him tightly. “Good, I have someone here I want you to meet.”

Harry braced himself as he walked into Lara’s flat. It was a mirror image of his own, though it was messier than his place. He picked a stray sock off of the sofa as he passed it and waved it at Lara.

She paled and he snickered silently and banished it to her bedroom with a flick of his wand, then quickly concealed it as a noise from the kitchen brought him back to his original purpose. A man, the same height as Harry and very fit, walked out of the kitchen and stood with his arm draped possessively across Lara’s shoulders.

Harry’s jaw dropped slightly at the sight and anger welled inside him again. Harry held out his hand and he watched as Lara suppressed a chuckle. He gave her a confused look and she started laughing.

“Harry, this is my twin brother, Vane. Vane this is our cousin Harry,” she said in between giggles.

Vane extended his hand and took Harry’s, shaking it firmly. “Nice to meet you Harry, Lara tells me you’ve been stirring things up around here.”

Harry blushed. “I’m sure she exaggerates.”

He leveled hazel eyes at Harry and smiled. “She tends to do that. She’s told me all about you.”

“How nice for you. Funny, she failed to mention a single thing about you and now she apparently finds that fact hilarious,” he said, sending her a mock glare.

She laughed again. “I could just see you getting all puffed up and about to tell him to sod off. You thought it was Dorian didn’t you?”

Harry nodded. “Yes… but I wasn’t puffed up.”

“You were a little puffed,” she corrected.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to Vane.” Well it’s nice to meet you anyway, even if your sister is so rude she never once mentioned you.”

Vane laughed and they all took a seat on Lara’s sofa and chatted amicably. “I told Vane about your stick collection,” she said with a laugh.

“I think it’s brilliant that you inherited that. Apparently it’s been a dormant trait in our family for generations,” Vane added.

Harry smiled. He was glad he wouldn’t have to go through the whole song and dance with his new family member. He would have to keep things in check around Dorian though. That would be a pain in the arse. ‘Just another thing to hate about him,’ Harry mused silently.

“You’ll have to keep your wand in your trousers when Dorian gets here though,” Lara said with a smirk.

“I was just thinking that,” Harry grumbled.

All warnings of magic and wands were left by the wayside as a sharp knock sounded at the door. “That’s them,” Lara squealed quietly.

She ran over to the door and opened it wide. Henry walked in followed by Dorian. As soon as Harry saw the mystery visitor, he almost passed out. His jaw dropped as his eyes locked onto crystal clear gray orbs. The familiar platinum blonde hair hung loosely around his face, and a polite smile – something Harry had never seen on that particular face before – formed on his delicate lips.

Lara looked back and forth between Harry’s wide eyes and that of the newcomer and looked worried. “Harry, are you alright? Dorian?”

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