Harry Potter : In the shadow of divinity2.38%

Chapter - 2 : The Bond of Blood and Secrets

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(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

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"…been a few hours since he's made a sound," a man was saying. "I'm just going to check in on him. Make sure he's all right."

"If you wake the baby, I will end you," an exhausted female responded.

There was a creak of the wooden bed frame, then the quiet thumping of approaching footsteps. A man, dark hair tousled from either sleep or bad genetics entered the room, he immediately stopped short when his gaze landed on the unfamiliar man. "What…?" Sleep heavy, hazel eyes widened. "Lily!"

The urgent bark of his voice drew the other rooms occupant immediately, the man's wife was by her partner's side in a matter of seconds, carrying a stick of intricately carved wood in each hand.

Forest green eyes darkened with dread as they flickered from the man's face to the child cradled in his arms. "Loki."

The man in question inclined his head as he allowed a small smile to touch the corner of his lips. "Lily-fire." The woman tensed at the moniker. "It's been some time, I see you've been busy."

Lily frowned, clearly not in the mood for pleasantries. "What do you want? What are you doing here?"

Loki sighed, as if disappointed by the queries. "I'd been under the impression that, along with an extraordinarily lovely face and quite a talented mouth, you also possessed a brain. Why don't you take a guess?"

Lily's face hardened at the unsubtle jab but she answered nonetheless. "Harry."

Loki looked down at the child curled against his chest, still sound asleep. "Is that what he's called? Harry? That certainly won't do, it's entirely to dull. What is his full name?"

"Harry James Potter."

"James Potter, hm? The boyfriend."

"Husband now, actually," the hazel eyed man cut in.

"Mazel tov," Loki said dryly. "Tell me, James Potter, why would you name the result of a love affair between your partner and another man after yourself?"

"It wasn't an affair, and it certainly had nothing to do with love," James snapped. "We were going through a rough time, both of us did things we weren't proud of. But we've worked past it, I won't have you reopening old wounds. I named him after myself because we never knew he wasn't mine. We didn't want to know because it didn't matter; no matter, who sired him, I'm his father, he is my son."

Loki snorted inelegantly. "How touching. Truly, my heart is just…warm. It doesn't change the fact that you are so incredibly wrong, a few words and naïve beliefs doesn't change the fact that this is my son, mine. You have no claim to him."

"He has every claim to Harry," Lily interjected. "James is my husband, he stood by me through everything despite the mistakes I made. He cared for me during the time I was pregnant, and he's done nothing but love and care for Harry since his birth. It is you who has no claim to him."

The only sign of Loki's anger was the darkening of his eyes, he would like to see these mortals try and keep him from his son. "You seem to forget, Lily-Fire, who and what I am. The customs of my people are not like whatever twisted ideologies you mortals now follow; if I so wish, I could take my son, refuse you any visitation, and there isn't a thing you could do about it."

Lily's fingers tightened around her wand until her knuckles turned white. "Is that what you intend to do?" she whispered, a barely perceptible tremor shook her voice. "Are you here to take Harry from me?"

Loki's demeanor shifted infinitesimally, softening in the face of the woman's quiet anguish. "No, that is not what I intend to do. There are no words for how much I long to return home with my son, but I do not wish to put his safety at risk."

"What do you mean?" James asked, placing a steadying hand at the small of his wife's back.

"My father," Loki said delicately. "If he discovers that I have had a son with a mortal he may very well wish to get rid of him."

"Harry is his grandson," Lily protested.

"And I am his son, but that has done nothing to change his feelings regarding me and my children. He will always view them as a threat. No, my son will remain here where he is safest." The boy in his arms stirred and made a quiet noise of discontent, but Loki shushed him and began to gently rock back and forth. "You should not have named him, not without seeking my council, names are powerful things," Loki said when the baby had settled. "I will not take his from him, that would be unfair, however, it will not remain his only title. He will act under the name Harry James Potter for as long as he resides in the world of mortals, it will simply act as another line of defense in keeping his identity secret from my father. But if the time ever comes for him to be introduced upon Asgard, he will be known as Haraldr Ivarr Kaden, Son of Loki."

"I…I will agree to that," Lily said reluctantly.

Loki chuckled, she didn't exactly have a say in the matter, but he appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

He spent a few moments longer absentmindedly rocking Haraldr as he committed the feel of cradling his tiny creation in unworthy arms to memory. "It will soon be time for me to take my leave. If I remain too long my father will notice my absence." He gently replaced Haraldr in his cot, careful to tuck him snugly into his blankets. "I will weave a number of protection spells around him, something to shield him from the sight of my father and his servants. But I am limited in what I can do, I cannot protect my son from everything, not when I am worlds away. Remember that he is no mere mortal, he carries my blood, when your kind find out, and they will whether it be in several days or several years, they will fear him as much as they will want to use him. You must protect him from that, protect him from them and any who seek to do him harm. Swear it."

James and Lily didn't even hesitate before nodding, solemn resolve in the set of their jaws and the spark in their eyes. "We will."

And they did. They died keeping that promise.