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65Chapter 5: Talking with Orion

Back in Time

Chapter 5: Talking with Orion

Harry exited the en-suite bathroom early the next morning to find Orion sitting in an armchair next to the bed, a slither of annoyance and anger slipping through his mask. Harry sat on the bed and looked at the man worriedly.

"Is everything okay, Orion?" he asked gently.

"Hm, quite. Just…" Orion sighed, "My father keeps trying to set up a marriage contract for me, with Walburga of all people," he grumbled slightly.

Harry's heart twisted in pain at the reminder that Orion had married that shrew of a woman in his original timeline. And the fact that he might be forced to again, in this timeline.

Just because Death said they were perfect for each other, it didn't mean they would get together.

Right?

And his heart hurt at the realisation.

At the mere thought that he wouldn't be with this man who, somehow, had moved into his heart at first sight.

"Who's Walburga?" Harry asked, hoping his voice wasn't too shaky. That it didn't give away any of what he was feeling.

"My bloody bitch of a cousin," he growled, surprising Harry slightly, but he calmed himself with a few deep breaths, "Sorry, I just… I don't want to marry her. I don't want to be forced to marry anyone, really, but, especially her. She's my cousin, first of all, and a bitch second. I know we're meant to keep the line 'pure' but surely there are other suitable witches for me to marry. I really just want to be able to choose for myself, though, but since Lucretia… I need to provide strong, magical heirs,"

Harry's heart stuttered in pain.

"Do families have a habit of marrying relatives?" Harry asked, really hoping his voice wasn't giving anything away.

"Sometimes. There are families that almost exclusively intermarry. Others do it occasionally depending on the other available heirs and such. But father is rather adamant on this match for me, I don't know why. I know he wants me to provide magical heirs but surely he can find someone better than her,"

"Hm," Harry hummed, gulping slightly, "I personally think this whole marriage contract business needs to end. People should marry for love. They should marry who they want to marry. And not for political reasons. I, for one, would never set my children up in a marriage contract against their will. But to marry one's cousin, or other relative, especially, is rather… detrimental to the line, I would think,"

Orion looked at him with suspicion, "How so? Pureblood families have been intermarrying for decades and there haven't been any issues with it,"

Harry smirked, "Are you so sure about that, Orion?"

"I think we would know if there were, in fact, dangers to marrying and having children with our family members," Orion nodded determinedly.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Harry muttered.

"What do you mean?" and somehow, despite the fact that Orion was just complaining about marrying his cousin, of all people, he sounded affronted.

"Perhaps you should go to the library in the Welsh wizarding district and read their books on biology and such, I would really rather not discuss it myself," Harry said, fidgeting slightly, although he was shocked to learn through his link with Ignotus that Wales had a wizarding district that contained a library, with books in it that were about biology.

"Why not?" Orion said.

"Because I may not know much about the wizarding world as a whole; the families and such, I mean. But I do know that there are many families determined to keep their lines supposedly 'pure' in any way they can, and they don't often like it when someone disagrees with them. I'd really rather not argue with you, Orion. I just met you, but I… I would like it if maybe we could be friends. I don't want to start that friendship off with an argument about blood purity," Harry said tiredly.

"And yet you're the one who brought it up," Orion said, raising an eyebrow.

"You're the one who complained about potentially marrying your cousin. If you truly want to get out of it, then maybe you should consider doing some research into why it is a bad idea for you to do so, and maybe show it to your father. I'm not here to get involved in your family troubles. I'm not here to discuss blood purity with you. I just… I just want to rest, for once in my life, really," Harry said, looking at his lap.

Orion sighed, "What good can some books about biology do? He seems determined,"

"I don't know. I don't know your family, your father. But I do know that those books will tell you exactly why it isn't a good idea for family members, especially close family members, to have children together. Especially if the trend continues throughout the family. It can lead to a number of consequences for the children being born from the union. The children can be unhealthy; physically, mentally, magically. Squibs are more likely to be produced. Children are typically less magically powerful. Or the amount of magic the family tends to have declines over the years the more the inbreeding continues. The family could lose the gifts they were known for. And that's just the beginning," Harry said, still not looking at Orion.

"Are you sure?" Orion said, his voice almost gentle.

Harry looked up at him to find a curiosity in his eyes, along with a few other things he couldn't quite place.

"Yes. But the books will go into more detail than I ever could," Harry said.

Orion took a shaky breath and nodded, "I will be sure to take a look at them,"

And Harry was actually shocked that he had listened. That he was going to read and consider books that would probably turn his whole world view on its head.

Orion chuckled slightly at the shock on Harry's face, "Why are you so shocked?"

"You…" Harry sputtered, "You are actually going to read the books. The books that will tell you why everything you have been taught by your family is beyond stupid. The books that will turn your entire world on its head. You're going to read them?"

Then it was Orion's turn to look shocked, "Everything?"

Harry gulped, "Well, maybe not everything. I don't know what they have taught you. But anything related to blood purity, squibs, etcetera. Probably,"

"Right," Orion nodded, also nervous, "Well, I can't… I can't marry her, and if this will get me out of that at the very least then… What's the harm, right?"

Harry just nodded, looking back down at his legs, "Is there anyone you do want to marry?" he asked so quietly that he wasn't sure Orion had heard him, not that he particularly wanted the boy to have heard it.

Why the hell was he practically in love with Orion already?

Yes, Death had told him that Orion was perfect for him, but that didn't mean he had to fall this quickly, right?

"No, I just would like the ability to choose, and I can't do that if I am betrothed to my bloody cousin," Orion said, and something in Harry settled.

Melania entered the room with a gentle knock on the door and smiled at Harry and her son.

"Orion, dear, what are you doing here?" Melania said, giving Harry an almost knowing smile as she ran her wand over him, which made him struggle to hide a blush.

"I am just attempting to entertain our guest, mother," Orion said, smiling somewhat at his mother.

"And yet he doesn't look very entertained, does he? Maybe you should employ your talents elsewhere, since entertainment clearly isn't one of them,"

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the affronted look Orion gave his mother, who was grinning lovingly at her son.

"You are much more entertaining than your son, Melania," Harry chuckled, causing the affronted look to be passed over to him.

"Or maybe some of us are just very hard to please," Orion almost pouted.

Harry chuckled again, shaking his head with a smile on his face.

"Or, maybe, some people just aren't that good at entertaining people," Harry said, grinning at the other boy.

Orion huffed and Melania shook her head lovingly.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" Melania asked.

"At least someone had the decency to ask that question," Harry said, grinning at the boy again who was looking at his lap as his mother glared at him, "I'm fine, Melania, thank you. No pain or anything,"

"I am very glad to hear that," Melania said, smiling at him, "Your wound is healing just fine, but I would like you to stay for another couple of days or so to keep an eye on you. These kinds of injuries can be rather tricky after all. Although, if you have nowhere to go then feel free to stay as long as you need. You are my third child now, after all,"

Orion looked at her in shock, "W-what?"

And Melania laughed brightly as she grinned at her son, Harry laughed, too.

"Oh, yes, Orion, didn't your father and I tell you that we wanted to adopt?" Melania said and laughed again at the shocked look on Orion's face.

"W-what? Why? When?" Orion said.

"I'm just joking, Orion," she chuckled, shaking her head, "But Lucretia and I have unofficially adopted him, so be good to him, will you," she warned her son.

Orion nodded and gulped at the look of steel in the woman's eyes.

"Yes, mother," Orion said.

"Good boy," she beamed at her son, "Harry, child, would you like anything to eat or drink?"

"Erm, just some toast please, with some juice," Harry said, smiling at her slightly.

"Of course," she called for a house elf and asked for Harry's breakfast.

"Thank you," Harry thanked the house elf when it brought the food for him. The poor thing looked like it was going to cry when it popped away.

"You know you don't have to thank the house elves, right?" Orion said.

"I know I don't have to, yes," Harry nodded as he spread his toast with butter and jam, "However, as someone who understands the work they do for us, day in and day out, I also know that it would be nice to be appreciated for it. They do everything for us; cooking, cleaning, looking after children, animals, etcetera. They make it so we can do what we want to do without having to worry about feeding ourselves or guests, without having to worry about whether we will come home to have to clean it, without having to worry about whether our clothes are clean and presentable. They make it so we can stay with our children when they are ill, or hurt, without having to worry about the small things. They look after us in the most important of ways, and it is hard work, even with the aid of magic. I have been in their shoes, I know what it's like to do everything and get nothing in return, not even a thank you. So I thank them, because that is the least they deserve for helping us in the ways they do," Harry said sternly.

"They get food, and a roof over their heads," Orion said.

"Yes, and a rag to wear as if they don't represent the household, too. As if they aren't important to the household. Would you be able to do anything they do, Orion? With or without magic? A man I used to know told me that if you want to know what a man's like, take a look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals. Everyone thinks house elves are inferior to them, and everyone I have come across treats them without the respect they deserve. If your child were to become sick one day, wouldn't you want to spend every moment with them, to comfort them as they got better? I know I would. House elves make that possible. You can spend every moment with your child because the house elves do everything around the house for you. They will feed you, make sure your child get's their potions on time, clothe you, and everything else. People without house elves, whether muggle or magical, don't get the luxury to stay with their sick child at all, or most times. They have other things to do, like cook, clean, look after everything else. But you don't have to worry about those basic, important things, because the house elves do it for you. And you should respect them, appreciate them for that,"

He rather hated that his first real conversation with Orion was full of… arguments. But, he supposed, if, by some miracle, they were to actually get together then it is good that they had gotten all of this out of the way so that they wouldn't have to worry about it too much later. And, he thought it rather ironic that he had quoted the man's own son to him.

He noticed that Melania was smiling at him slightly in… almost understanding.

"Are you going into politics? Because you really know how to make me think about things with the words you say," Orion said, a curious look in his eyes.

"I would really rather not," Harry chuckled, "But when I claim my Lordship I was thinking I probably should claim my seats on the Wizengamot, given the state of things. But we'll see, I suppose,"

"Hm," Orion hummed, "Right, well, I'll be off then. I have some research to do. I'll see you later, mother, Hadrian," he nodded at them both and was soon out of the door.

Harry took a shaky breath and looked at Melania, who was still smiling at him.

"You like him," she said.

"I… Maybe," he muttered.

She smiled brighter, "I approve,"

"I… I mean, he probably doesn't even like men, right? I mean he was talking about witches before you arrived. Complaining about his dad wanting to marry him off to his cousin," Harry's nose wrinkled against his will, "rather than finding another witch for him. Or just letting him choose for himself who he marries," he sighed and leaned back against the headboard, finishing the last of his toast and juice and thanking the house elf who came to take away his empty tray.

"Did Lucretia manage to get an appointment?" Harry asked.

"Indeed, she did. It's on Monday, with our personal family healer," Melania said.

"Good," Harry nodded.

"How are you feeling? Do you need any more pain reliever? Another potion?" Melania fretted.

"I'm a bit sore, but nothing major," Harry admitted, and the older woman foisted a pain reliever upon him, which he took gratefully.

Harry was rather shocked when she stayed with him, though, for a good few hours anyway before she joined her husband for lunch, after making sure Harry had something to eat whilst he stayed in bed, resting.

No one had ever really stayed with him before.

But it felt nice, having someone show they care about him whilst he was healing. She really was rather like a mother to him already, and it was weird how quick his relationships, or feelings, for this family were growing. But he also couldn't find it in himself to complain, because he felt safe with them. Safe. Cared for.

Welcome.

He just hoped it wouldn't come back to bite him in the arse one day.

Hiya, how are you all?

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. What do you think Orion is going to feel about what he finds out in regards to blood purity, inbreeding, squibs, etc? What all is he going to find out? Is Harry going to join the Wizengamot? What will happen with Dumbles and Tom? Is Tom good or bad? What about Horcruxes? Will anyone find out Harry is from the future? If so, who and when? When will Harry claim back his heirlooms? What else will happen? What will happen when Harry meets the rest of the family? Only time will tell but I would love to hear your thoughts and such.

Also, I posted an essay/petition where I (un)officially explain why I think I should be cast as my favourite character, Severus Snape, in the new HBO series, despite the fact that I am a woman. It would mean a lot if you went and read it, but no pressure. It isn't going to lead to anything, unless, by some miracle, it goes viral, but it was fun to write. It is on my AO3, Maraudering_Paige. Feel free to go and check it out.

Anywho, I am working on some Spotify playlists for my fanfics, so if you can think of any songs you think work with the stories as they are so far, or where you think they are going, or songs that give you the vibes you get from the stories, then please do let me know and I will give them a listen, then potentially add them to the playlists. I will let you know as soon as they are ready, though it may take a few weeks because life.

I have a Facebook group called Maraudering_Paige which you are all welcome to join if you would like to and are able to. It is where we can talk about Harry Potter, fanfics, life, share memes and more. It is also where I have somewhat of an update schedule for my fics and will be keeping you up to date on what I am working on, in regards to fanfics, original works, and more things. So if you are interested in joining then I am more than happy to accept you all.

I hope you are having an amazing day!

Kind regards,

Paige xx