Welcome Back James

I don’t own a thing!

He couldn’t believe it, after 16 years of being in the dungeons of Riddle Manor he was finally free. The deatheater that brought him there almost 16 years ago had told him the only way he would escape was if the dark lord was defeated. That had been the last time he saw any one other than a house elf.

His thoughts traveled to the family he left behind, to the son and the lover. He was suddenly hit with worry realizing he didn’t know if the two were still alive. If they were, his son would be turning 17 at the end of the month and probably thought he was dead. He just hoped his son was living with his godfather if he had survived.

His thoughts then traveled to the only person he had ever loved. The man who gave him his son and didn’t even know the boy was the child of the both of them. The day he had found out about the baby he had gone straight to his lover’s apartment to inform him of the news praying it would make him happy. When he got there he had quietly let himself in and walked in on his lover coming back from a deatheater meeting. He had felt so betrayed that he had run out without giving his love a chance to explain. He went straight to his only female friend and explained to her the situation. They had decided to fake a marriage and her pregnancy to cover his own. He was shocked when the baby was born to see his little boy had the same color eyes of his adopted mother. It was then he remembered his love saying that his grandmother had green eyes and been upset when none of his family had then. He and his friend had built a life together and he had always been grateful the child had looked almost like a copy of himself, but had his fathers skin tone. He had always felt guilty for not telling his love about the baby, but not nearly as bad as when he had found out that his love had been a spy the entire time. He had found that out the day before he had been taken and imprisoned. He had never been given the chance to apologize to his love or tell him he was a father.

James Potter came out of his musings when he stumbled into the daylight for the first time in almost 16 years. He knew the first place he had to go to find all the answers to his questions. Standing tall he apparated to Hogmede and headed to Hogwarts to get his answers.

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Severus Snape was standing by the lake on a warm July night remembering what the war had cost him. The war was over now and so was his reason to fight. The only person he had ever loved had left him after finding out he was a deatheater, had gotten their best friend pregnant shortly after and had married her.

It had been their child who had defeated the dark lord. A child he wanted so much to hate, but couldn’t help but love. He wanted to hate him for not being a product of the love he and his once partner had shared, for not being his. He wanted to hate the boy but found that impossible. The boy was quiet, shy, loving, gentle, but at the same time had a fiery temper, and was fierce on a battlefield. He hated having to be mean to the boy and was glad he wouldn’t have to any more. He only had to in the beginning so as not to blow his cover.

He was broken from his thoughts when he heard crunching on the gravel pathway leading to the school. He turned to see a man about his age who looked like he hadn’t bathed in years. The man had long black hair, which looked to reach down to his waist, and was very dirty. It was the eyes that shocked him though, they were the blue eyes of his love, and the one who every one assumed the dark lord had killed. The one whose body was never found. It was then he looked closer at the face, it was the exact replica of his love’s and he suddenly found his feet taking him to the other man of their own accord.

He stopped in front of the other man and looked down into the blue eyes that looked up at him with unshed tears and so much longing it made his heart ach.

“Sev?” The other man asked in almost disbelief. Hearing that voice, the one of his love, brought him back to reality. How could he be sure this wasn’t some trick by the last remaining deatheaters to get back at him for switching sides?

It seemed the stranger was able to read his mind and changed into a majestic white stag, the exact replica of the animagus form of James Potter. That was all the proof he needed, as there was no way to duplicate animagus transformation. Then the man changed back and he was once again looking into the blue eyes of his love.

He reached a hand up to cup the cheek and watched as a tear fell from the blue eyes. It was then he broke down and gathered the other man into his arms. He held on for dear life afraid this was some kind of dream and he would soon wake up. He happened to look over his shoulder to see Albus Dumbledore watching the reunion. He held his love until he felt the man calm down and the tears stop before he let go enough for James to see Albus.

“Well James, I am glad to see we were wrong about your death.” Albus said with the twinkle in his eye. “Welcome back my boy. By the way that was a nice transformation I saw back there.”

“Thank you Albus.” The man in Severus’s arms said.

“Now I am sure you have many questions and they will be answered, but first I think you should get yourself cleaned up and then you may go pick up your son.”

“But Albus it is the middle of the night, don’t you think he would be asleep?” James asked

“He won’t mind if you wake him for this, in fact he would welcome the opportunity to leave his summer residence early.”

“Albus, why would he want to leave early? Sirius is taking care of him isn’t he?” James asked worry filling his voice.

“James I am so sorry. After you disappeared Sirius was arrested for yours and Lily’s murders. He was put in Azkaban, but escaped when young Harry was 13. He has been on the run since then as we have not been able to catch wormtail and have to evidence to prove he is innocent.”

“Albus, who does Harry live with?”

“His only living relatives. Lily’s sister and her husband.” Albus became alarmed when he saw how pale James went at the news.

“How could you put him with those people? They are the worse sort of muggles imaginable and hate everything to do with magic. How could you put our son with them? Why didn’t you give him to Remus or Sev? You knew we wouldn’t abject to him living with one of them.” James yelled at the man he had always looked up to.

“James you know I would have loved to see him placed with one of them, but we all know the ministry wouldn’t allow that when he had a living relative who could take him.”

“Well they aren’t even his relatives. Lily only adopted him. He has another father and I was the one who carried him. They should have looked at the records; we listed the other father’s name on the birth certificate. He should have gone to him.” James was so furious it didn’t even register what he had just said.

Severus and Albus were shocked. Lily wasn’t Harry’s biological mother, James was. That was when Severus did the math and realized he was most likely the boys other father. He looked down into the blue eyes and watched as his love nodded to the unasked question. He was the other father.

“James I know sorry won’t make up for it, but I had no idea. Cornelius said that he checked the records and asked me to take Harry to his aunt and uncle. I set up a sort of blood protection for him there. Had I known Severus was his biological father I would have done all in my power to make sure Harry lived with him.” The two other men could see the sincerity in his eyes.

“I understand Albus, but I want my son out of there tonight!” That said he and Severus headed off toward the school where they returned to Severus’s quarters and James showered and cleaned himself up.

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When James was clean and had cut his hair so that it was now just past his shoulders and tied back with a leather strap the two prepared to leave. It was at that very moment that a frantic Lucius Malfoy came through the fire followed by his wife.

The Malfoys were shocked to see James, but recovered quickly. Lucius had known about their relationship, as had Narcissa, Sirius, Lily, and Remus. He had also know there was a possibility that James may have been alive still. They had all been friends in school, but had kept that a secret. Lucius had become a spy with Severus and had comforted his friend when James had left.

Though Lucius seemed like a cold-hearted bastard in public, he was quite different when he was around his family and Severus. He had been the one to decide that Severus would be the godfather to his son, Draco, and he and his wife tried to be good parents while maintaining the façade of being the perfect Slytherins.

He was brought from this thoughts when he heard his wife ask, “Severus, Is Draco here with you? When we returned home tonight he was gone and we don’t know where he went.”

Severus really didn’t want to deal with this. He knew his godson probably snuck off to be with a new love interest, but knew his friends worried for their son’s safety. It was common knowledge that Lucius had been a spy and the perfect revenge on him would be through his heir.

“Are you sure he didn’t just sneak out?” James asked.

“It is a possibility. What are you doing here by the way?” Lucius questioned.

“Long story, but we were about to go pick up my son, a longer story, and we will help you look for yours when we return if you like?” Said Severus. “Or you may come with us and we will give Draco time to make it home.”

The two Malfoys were going to refuse, but decided their friends were probably right and so went with them not knowing what they were going to find when they got to their destination.

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Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the locks on his door click and knew his uncle wasn’t going to beat him tonight. He still had bruises from last night and hadn’t eaten in the last three days. It was times like this he wished his friends still talked to him, then he wouldn’t have to go hungry, as they would send care packages. He did get some, but those were from Hagrid and the person he was seeing. He had been dating Draco Malfoy secretly for the last year and had only told his friends and Remus and Sirius that he was gay. Sirius and Remus had known since the beginning of sixth year and he had told Ron and Hermione on the train ride home and now regretted that he did.

When the train had arrived on the platform and Harry had joined his “family” Hermione had yell after him calling him a fag. He watched as Uncle Vernon’s face turned purple and knew he would get it when he got home. If there was one thing his family hated more than magic it was people who were gay.

He had been right and that night his uncle had beat and for the first time raped him. Since then in the two weeks he had been home he had been beaten almost everyday and had been raped four times.

Every time his uncle would enter his room, which he wasn’t allowed to leave anymore, he would pray that he would live through what was to come. He had defeated Voldemort and had saved Sirius from the veil the summer before, but was afraid of his uncle could and would do to him.

He knew he should have told someone about the beatings, but didn’t want to see the pity in their eyes. He was just glad of one thing. That he had given his virginity to Draco before his uncle could steal it.

He was startled from his thought when he heard something at his window. He was about to go see what it was when it opened and someone with blond hair climbed through. Seeing Draco he got up carefully and walked over to the taller boy. He was relieved to feel the arms of his lover wrap around him and hold him close. He hadn’t felt this safe in a while. All the pain and anguish that had been building the last couple of weeks finally escaped as he cried into the blonds chest.

Draco just held his tiny lover closer to him as he cried. Harry was so small compared to him, standing only 5ft 4in. He stood a good 6ft 1in and seemed to tower over Harry. He had asked his tiny love why he didn’t take potions for his height and was told that they wouldn’t work because his height had been stunted by malnutrition. He knew Harry was bothered by his size but he also liked the way Harry seemed to fit in his arms and wondered if it would be that way if Harry was taller.

He looked down at his lover and saw the bruised that littered his body. He had a black eye and Draco found himself glad that Harry had gotten his eyes fixed last year before the final battle, as he was sure the glass would have gotten into Harry’s eyes from his glasses and might have blinded him. Harry had decided to grow his hair and it now retched past his shoulders and was often pulled back. Harry was small and though he had muscles they were not very big. Draco on was a lot broader than Harry, kept his hair short, and had his mother light blue eyes.

He steered the smaller boy over to the bed and sat down pulling Harry onto his lap. He rested against the headboard and soon felt Harry’s breathing even out as he fell asleep. He decided they would sleep here for a while, but first he set up charms to let him know if anyone was unlocking the door to enter the room. It wouldn’t be good for Harry’s uncle to catch them before he could get him out of there. He was thankful he had turned 17 in January and was able to do magic outside Hogwarts now unlike Harry who turned 17 and the end of the month. That was his last thought before he fell asleep with Harry in his arms like they had done so many times at Hogwarts.

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Harry woke a couple of hours later and was scared to find arms around him gently holding him close to another body. It took him a while to calm down and he remembered Draco coming earlier that night. He looked up into the light blue eyes of his lover and breathed a sigh of relief.

Draco leaned down for a soft and gentle kiss, which Harry happily gave. The two were startled from the kiss when they heard the locks on the door begin to open.