Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Everything is beautiful."

Username: 
Password:    
Remember Me
  • Create Account
  • IJ Login
  • OpenID Login
Search by : 
  • View
    • Create Account
    • IJ Login
    • OpenID Login
  • Journal
    • Post
    • Edit Entries
    • Customize Journal
    • Comment Settings
    • Recent Comments
    • Manage Tags
  • Account
    • Manage Account
    • Viewing Options
    • Manage Profile
    • Manage Notifications
    • Manage Pictures
    • Manage Schools
    • Account Status
  • Friends
    • Edit Friends
    • Edit Custom Groups
    • Friends Filter
    • Nudge Friends
    • Invite
    • Create RSS Feed
  • Asylums
    • Post
    • Asylum Invitations
    • Manage Asylums
    • Create Asylum
  • Site
    • Support
    • Upgrade Account
    • FAQs
    • Search By Location
    • Search By Interest
    • Search Randomly

the_other_albus ([info]the_other_albus) wrote in [info]hogwarts_dawn,
@ 2021-04-19 20:02:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:character: albus s. potter, character: harry potter

RP: Harry and Al
Who: Albus Severus and Harry
When: An hour before lunch, April 20th
Where: Harry's Office
What: Albus Takes a Step Forward



Al had spent most of last night deciding the best way to approach his father. He didn't like going in without a plan, especially when his family was involved. He finally settled on meeting him the hour before family lunch, so that no matter how it went they would have a definitive stopping point. If it went well, then could go to lunch together. If it went badly then Al could have a sudden headache and not go to lunch at all. Win win, really.

He knocked on Harry's office door, confident of the timing but not at all sure about any of the rest of this. Talking to his father one on one was the only way they'd ever really get to know each other, but maybe they shouldn't. Maybe Harry only liked him because they didn't know each other.

This isn't your father. Not really. This is who your father was, not is. He's just a man, a man who is the same age as you. Treat him like that, instead of like your father, and this will be fine.


(Post a new comment)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 03:17 am UTC (link)
Harry was writing a letter to hand to the goblin at Gringotts in the hopes that he'd pass it along. Writing was a little of an exaggeration. There were balls of crunched parchment covering his desk. He really needed Glenda. Or maybe Hermione, but she was busy and he should be able to do something without going to her. Or something in general. This job was turning out to be like every stakeout he'd ever done: hurry up and wait.

He lit up at the knock on the door. "Scorpius, whatever it is, yes do interrupt." And why was he so bloody polite? Draco had never been polite. He frowned a little when the door opened and there was no blond hair. "You're not Scorpius. Of course you aren't. Sorry, Al, come on in. I've been trying to write this and-" He gestured toward his desk.

He leaned back on his chair and look at his son. "Is everything all right?" Now that the letter was slipping from his mind, his thoughts went in a very different direction. "Are you all right?" Never be said that he didn't assume the worse. "Sit, tell me what's wrong."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 03:21 am UTC (link)
Harry jumping to the worst possible scenario was so familiar that it sent a little pang through Al. He hadn't really thought much about how his father, his actual father, was dead. They may not have gotten along but that didn't mean that Al didn't still love him. He did, and he suddenly felt his absence very clearly. No matter what happened with this version of Harry the chance for Al to finally get his actual father's approval was dead and gone and never coming back.

"It's, uh, nothing's, nothing's wrong." He walked over to the desk and tried to smile in a way that didn't make him look constipated. "I, um, I just thought that, that maybe we, we could, talk. Just, just us. And, um, walk, walk to lunch, um together. If you wanted."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 03:38 am UTC (link)
"That's good. Nothing wrong is always better," he joked as he relaxed a little more, but still wondering if Al was building up to whatever bad news there was. "That sounds good. We can certainly talk."

He wasn't sure what they should talk about. His Mum and Dad were great at keeping the conversation going at meals, which reminded him that he totally forgot to tell Sirius about maybe avoiding the lunches. He'd talk to his Mum first, he supposed.

"So... what would you like to talk about? Is there something specific or just wanted to save me from writing this letter? Because even the latter would be appreciated at the moment."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 03:45 am UTC (link)
"No, uh, nothing, nothing specific." Al took a breath, then launched into the speech he'd been practicing all night. He spoke slowly, but distinctly, not wanting to stutter through this.

"I think that you and I should try to get to know each other, and, and I don't think that's going to happen at the lunches. I know things with you and Jamie and Lilu are weird, but I want to have my own relationship with you, whatever that may be."

He let out the breath he'd been holding, relieved that he'd actually made it through the whole thing.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 04:03 am UTC (link)
Harry listened. It certainly wasn't what he was expecting, but he could appreciate that. "Maybe the lunches were a bit ambitious, weren't they? Draco mentioned them, but it's just the two of them, and now there's my parents. Sirius showed up. I feel like we should include Roxanne, Ron and Hermione if he comes. It's becoming a bit of a circus," he said, chuckling.

"I'm not really good with that many people around. I'm better when it's just Ron and Hermione," he admitted. "I guess you feel the same, huh? So how do you want to do this? Random meets? We can totally do that.'

Harry could be oblivious in a lot of things, but he could also be very observant in other areas and that made him curious. "Can I ask you a personal question and you don't have to answer if you don't want to? When we met, those first times, when you arrived and out on the ground, you weren't stuttering. You did when you entered, but you didn't just now. Why is that? Why the difference?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 02:44 pm UTC (link)
Scorpius wouldn't be surprised to hear that the lunches were actually Mr. Malfoy's idea. Al was more surprised that Harry was admitting some fault for something. Just one more reminder that this Harry was not their father, and really couldn't be treated like him.

"Maybe, um, maybe a bit ambitious, yeah." He smiled though, because he didn't want to hurt his Dad's feelings.

Al shrugged, he hadn't thought much about it, beyond getting here and stating his case.

"We, uh, we don't, um, we don't have to schedule, like, anything, really. Just, uh, maybe, maybe sometimes we can, um, yeah, just ,yeah, random meets. Sounds good."

And there it was. He at least didn't sound annoyed, or dissapointed. He also didn't snap at Al to 'stop doing that' or 'talk properly' like he usually would. Al had known how much his father drank, but seeing this Harry sober really brought home just how much being drunk or hungover changed his personality.

"I, um," he blushed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I, practiced. That speech. A lot." It was one of the tricks he'd been given, a long while back. Repeat what you want to say over and over so you never get ahead of your mouth. "It, um, it helps to practice, keeps me from, uh, from getting ahead of myself. I, the, um, the stutter gets worse when I'm nervous. Or, or surprised, or, um, uncomfortable. So, pretty much always," he joked, though that didn't make it not true.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 03:49 pm UTC (link)
"Do you enjoy the lunches though? Or would you prefer something smaller? Less frequent? I don't really know what the answer is. If I stop them now, I'll be blamed for that. If I don't stop them, I'm wasting people's time." It was like dealing with the bloody press. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

"All right, that's fine, but I'm warning you in advance that I might... forget. Scorpius does my schedule during the day and I do what he says," he said, chuckling. This was a little better than the Ministry. At least Scorpius kept track of everything, although as an Auror, he was in the field and avoided schedules all together. "Tell him and I'll have a break."

He sat up, hands on his desk, paying attention now. "I can understand that, but the point was why didn't it happen those two times? Was it the surprise? Were you angry with me? Are you angry now? And it doesn't always happen. I've heard you speak to your siblings and Scorpius. You don't do it with them."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 04:10 pm UTC (link)
Did he enjoy the lunches? No, not really. But he didn't hate them either, and it was kind of nice to see everyone, even if every day was a lot.

"They're... They're okay. I, I like seeing everyone. And, and getting to know Lily and James. But, uh, it's, it's a lot. Every day. If, if you want, I can be the badguy. If you want. Jamie and Lilu are, are used to my, um, extreme anti-social tendencies, or, or whatever you want to, to call them. Maybe, maybe like, once a week? Twice? So, so we have new things to, to tell each other?"

Al nodded, because now that Scorpius was in on this he had a feeling that random breaks were going to be magically built into Harrys schedule, whether Al was consulted or not. He didn't mind though, he'd been letting Scorpius run his social calendar for years.

He began picking at his sleeves, awkward and embarrassed and as always not sure of how to explain himself. Especially not to Harry.

"I, um, no, I'm not, not mad at you. If I was mad I, I would barely be able to get a word, word out. I, um, yelled at Lucius, Lucius Malfoy the, the other week and I, um, I sounded like an actual brain dead simple, simpleton. I, I don't stutter with Jamie and Lilu, and, and Scorpius because, because I'm totally comfortable with, with them. The, the less anxious I am the less, the less it happens. The first time we arrived, it was, um, sort of a, uh, of a fight or flight, uh, thing? I've noticed that when, um, when we're actually in, um, danger, that I can kind of, kind of hyper focus, and, and like I don't even think about, about words and I don't stutter, as much. I tried to, uh, harness that. It worked, sort of. But, um, I was so tense all the time that I, um, ended up sort of just, uh, falling apart after like, um, a week. Mum was, was so dissapointed. She thought she'd finally, well, um, fixed me."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 04:24 pm UTC (link)
"Yeah, my parents are kind of awesome and I'm enjoying listening to them talk." That made the lunches much easier because he honestly wanted to hear them, listen to the little things that no one ever told him about them. "Let's see how it goes now that they are around, yeah? And then we can find a way to have them without making anyone the bad guy." He was pretty sure that he'd end up being the bad guy no matter what. "We can make a deal. When they get too much, we can just sit in a corner and pretend to talk."

Harry snorted. "Lucius has that ability to get people to want to yell at him. I started when I was twelve. Although, strangely enough, he's being a model wizard at the moment." It was eerie and he knew that at the right moment, he was capable of stabbing them in their backs. "That makes sense I suppose. I'm always more focused when someone is trying to kill me. This is just like that only without the murder. I can't say I'm used to the lack of murder," he said with a shrug. "I don't know about fixing anything, but when I was young, whenever we had to do something questionable I just pictured Voldemort. Maybe you can picture one of your siblings or Scorpius and pretend you're yelling at them. Have you tried that?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 08:06 pm UTC (link)
Al didn't point out that they'd only had one or two lunches without Lily and James. If Harry wanted to keep trying than Al could tough it out. The idea of hiding in a corner with his Dad was both crazy and nice. It had never occurred to him that he might dislike groups as much as Al did. Maybe that's why he always drank so much before Sunday dinner.

"Okay, it's a, it's a deal." He smiled, and this time it wasn't quite so awkward.

For once someone, especially Harry, suggesting things he should try didn't get Al's hackles up. Maybe it was that Harry didn't seem to be passing judgement.

"I, uh, I've tried a lot of stuff. Mum took me to, um, a lot of Healers and things, when I was a kid. To, uh, make me stop." It always seemed to be worse after, especially with how dissapointed she always seemed to be.

"I, I had a better handle on it. Back home. I, um, I do better with, with a plan. When I know what's going to, um, to happen, so I can be, uh, prepared. This, the castle and, and losing everything has, well, I guess I'm, uh, just sort of, sort of off kilter. It's been worse, lately. But, um, I think I'm getting, getting better. Sometimes. It'll help, I think, when I have a, a job. A routine. Which, um, Scorpius said you need, need someone to preserve the houses in Hogsmede. I, uh, I could do that. Till, um, till school starts. Look for clues to the, uh, to the Vault too. If that, um, works?"

(Reply to this) (Parent)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 08:41 pm UTC (link)
"Good, you can be my excuse to avoid talking and I can be yours." And really wasn't that the entire point of being with Ron and Hermione? The three of them could sit and just eat and drink and make a few comments and they'd never had to entertain anyone.

Harry shrugged. "I'm no healer. I just figured that it's something that worked for me and it might work for you, that's all. I'm sure you'll find your own way, especially if you did it once."

He reached out, covering Al's hand. "Your plan is to take it one day at a time. Stop worrying about what will happen in a week or a month. Today, you focus on today and tomorrow, you focus on tomorrow, because with the way things are, we don't know when we will have a normal life, but a job, that we can do. I didn't know you had offered to teach. The only reason Snape and Dumbledore were going to teach full time is because they were going to teach all of the classes themselves, but if you're teaching a subject, that's just 2 classes."

He pulled his hand back, snorting. "I didn't know I needed someone for that, but it makes sense. We barely went once and then we haven't really had time for much more. We can make the Hogsmeade preservation your full time job. I don't think we'll be going any further than that at the moment anyway. You can carve out time for teaching once classes start."

(Reply to this) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 08:52 pm UTC (link)
Al flinched slightly when Harry touched his hand, but he didn't pull away. He couldn't remember the last time his dad had just touched him casually. They weren't a touching household, except for Lilu. But it was nice, and grounding, and he found himself relaxing despite himself.

"I've, yeah, I've been talking to Professor Snape about it. He seemed, open to the idea. But Hogsmede sounds, um, right up my alley. I'm good with, uh, charms. And things." He shrugged, then ducked his head. "But I'm, garbage at one day at a time. I'm more of a, uh, color coded time table sort of guy. But, um, I'll try." Albus had nearly weaponzied organization back at Hogwarts, and had wielded it like a scalpel at the Ministry. It had often been the only thing he had. Definitive end times, specific starts. It was one of the reasons that the Sunday dinners had always been his worst days. No start time, ending whenever, people just in and out and in and out, eat when it was ready, loud talking and judgement and chaos. At least their lunches weren't like that.

"Thanks Dad," he said, quiet but heartfelt. "I, um, I didn't think you would even want to talk to me but, but I'm glad you did." He gave Harry's hand a brief squeeze, which may as well have been a full body hug from him. He didn't know why Jamie and Lilu couldn't see how much Harry wanted to make this work. Had he not been like this with them? Or were they all too similar, too stubborn, to hear the others out?

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 09:13 pm UTC (link)
"You'd be okay teaching?" he asked, mostly curious. Snape could deal with school as he saw fit after all. "So you're like Hermione, good to know and that's fine, but don't get so focused on that table that you get thrown off when the castle decides that your blue day is turning out to be all red. Otherwise known as 'stuff happens'," he said with a shrug.

Harry was taken a back for a moment. "Dad? I like that and Al, I have no bloody clue what happened and how things were so out of control in our family, but of course I want to talk to you. You're my son, even if- well, age and all. That bond will always mean something." He smiled. "So why don't you make your charts about Hogsmeade, which houses you want to do first and all that rot that would bore me to death, but then be ready to modify that plan if something happens. And if you find something that feels wrong, and I know that's very vague, but it could be a clue. If you're not sure, call me, call your brother call Hermione. We'll figure out what it is."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 09:27 pm UTC (link)
"It's all been red instead of blue, um, lately," he mumbled, going with the metaphor. "But, I mean, I'm coping. It's not like there's, there's much I can do to, um, change it." He wasn't surprised when he was compared to Aunt Hermione. It wasn't the first time by any stretch. She was the one to teach him how to color code in the first place. "But, I think I'd like teaching. It's, you know, a plan. Lessons, being prepared. That stuff. But, um I don't have to teach either. I just, I couldn't think of anything else to do. I do experimental magic. Not much call for that now."

He hadn't even realized he'd called him Dad. There was Scorpius' answer, he supposed. But it felt right, and it clearly made Harry happy. That was all Al had ever really wanted.

"I don't know what happened either," he said softly. "Scorpius, um, thinks you just needed some Slytherins in your life to, uh, see that it's not so bad." But the Slytherin thing had only ever been the tip of the iceberg, really. "I think, though, that, um, the Slytherin thing, it was just kind of a, um, excuse. A reason to be, um, dissapointed. Distant. I've been thinking about it a lot, lately. Really. I don't know about Mum but, um, I think you were just unhappy. With us, with your life, with everything. You were unhappy, for whatever, whatever reason. So you drank. And you worked. And you dissapproved from a, uh, distance. But, that doesn't matter anymore. Cause, you're not him and, uh, I don't want to make it, um, weird but, you seem happy. Happier than I've ever, ever seen you. And it's good. Our lives before, our family, you and, and Mum... We were messy. It's different now. So, I want to call you Dad, and I want us to be, close. If we can. It's all I ever wanted. But, I don't expect you to be him, either. And I'll try my best not to, to put my feelings for him on you." Al took a deep breath. That was probably the longest thing he'd said to anyone, even Scorpius, in ages. "And yeah, I'll let someone know, about the village. Clues. Stuff."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 09:42 pm UTC (link)
"Nah, it was more a rainbow," he said, laughing. "Everyday is something different here. It just never was the colour you expected and when you did it was because it was someone else's memories. That was sort of interesting." Except for that part that someone knew about the horcruxes and the deathly hallows and he had to open Dumbledore's tomb to get the wand. "And I didn't think that you weren't coping. I think you're doing fine."

He shrugged. "It's up to you although you must have students that weren't like us. I don't think things went quite as planned when we were around. On the other hand, we do need those buildings to last while finding those clues. I doubt we will have many other options. How about building spells? If we need to create more. Sooner or later, Hogwarts will be a school and we might move there. We'll need to have things like a Ministry and a hospital running there. You might just have taken on a bigger job than you think."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Does he think that I needed Slytherins or a particular one. He's not very subtle, that one. Then again, Draco was never subtle, even when he thought he was, so it's a family trait. They are all drama queens, thinking about it. Even Lucius." He listened to what Albus was saying. "I probably was unhappy. I wasn't doing so well when I got here. I was... bored with life, with people, with the job, and that was 2003, and I was made Head Auror in 2006, I must have been so bloody bored, that's when you were born, weren't you? I can see why I might have thought that having children would change life." He could see why it exploded in his face. After all, the only experience with children was Teddy and Andromeda was the one taking care of him. "I like that, though. It's going to be a different kind of messy, with you the same age as me grandparents younger then us, your brother older than me. Draco," he said with a smile. "We can figure it out and I'll try not to attack when you do put your feeling for my older self on me. I can't say I'll manage. When people attack me, especially when I think it's unfairly done, I react. I'll try not to, and when we make mistakes, we'll start again. How does that sound?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 10:01 pm UTC (link)
Al nodded as Harry listed out all the different parts of the job. It sounded exciting, honestly. The sort of exciting Al liked. It would take record keeping and notes and finding interesting ways to use magic.

"I don't know much about building, but I can learn," he said eagerly. Maybe he'd talk to Dumbledore about it. He probably had some ideas, and even if he didn't he might know where Al should start. "I don't mind if it, um, is a big project. I like challenges. And, I'll ask for help. If I need it." But only as a last resort.

Harry wasn't at all wrong about the Malfoy's, but Scorpius clearly wasn't wrong about Harry either. The fond way he talked about them, especially Draco, was unmistakable.

"I don't know about Mr Malfoy, and Lucius, but, well, Scorpius is the best kind of melodrama. He kept me from, well, living in a hole my entire life. Maybe Draco can do the same for, um, for you."

He nodded when Harry asked about his birthdate.

"I sort of like this mess better," Al admitted. "It's at least, um, a quieter mess than the old one. And, I won't attack you. That's not, um, Jamie and Lilu get loud I just... Dissapear. So, no need to worry there. But, yeah, mistakes, start again. We're all bloody new to this, um, communication stuff. Our whole family. I'll, I'll talk to them. If you want? Jamie. Lilu. It's different for them, then for me. They, uh, well," he shrugged, not wanting to speak for his siblings. As much as he was enjoying getting to know his Dad he would never intentionally turn his back on his siblings. "Jamie had a lot, on his plate. He, sort of, stepped up. For me. For Lilu. For the family. You were gone, Mum was gone, Jamie was left. So, don't judge him too harshly. Yeah? It was different for them."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 10:13 pm UTC (link)
"It sounds like you're already planning while talking to me. You've got that look." It was a look he'd seen on Hermione too many times not to know it. At least, Al was still here. "This is when Hermione would get up and disappear under a pile of books, which was better than when she made me and Ron read," he said with a shiver.

"Mr. Malfoy?" he asked, confused why he'd name Lucius twice, and then he snorted. "You mean Draco. I'm pretty sure you can call him that, because it's be really weird. Malfoy is his father. Or Lucius if you want to piss him off. If you can get Scorpius to call me Harry, it'd be great. Savannah too, if you know her. But yes, Draco was impressive with the dram. 'Wait until my father hears about it'," he said, trying and failing to use the posh accent. "Draco... well I have no idea what it is. We'll see, I guess."

He had no idea what the other mess was like, but it did sound miserable. "Quieter is good." The rest though had him on his guard again. "Yeah, that sounds like a discussion I've already had twice in different ways. Something about trauma, comparing them and sexual slavery." He would never forget the randomness of that sentence. "It's probably best that you don't. We need to find our own way to talk, but thank you."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 10:22 pm UTC (link)
"I don't know that I could, um, call him Draco. Though I guess Mr. Malfoy is, well, weird. I can't promise anything with Scorpius, either. But, I'll tell him. Savannah, well, she's Jamie's friend. Not mine. But, if it comes up, okay."

Sexual slavery? Albus just frowned, because
he could not imagine what could have ever brought that up. But he could see that he'd said the wrong thing. The open, relaxed expression on Harry's face was gone, leaving a guarded look that was a lot more familiar.

"I'm not, um, I'm not, blaming, you. It's, um, I won't, won't say anything, um, if you don't, don't want. Just, yeah, um. I'll let you guys..." He gestured, not quite able to find the words to say 'get on with yourselves.'

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-20 11:37 pm UTC (link)
"Well, if you can't, then you can't. Hopefully with time, yeah? Same with Scorpius. And I didn't know that Savannah was his friend. I mean she talks about all three of you equally, so I assumed- How good of a friend?" Not that it mattered, but he'd know to watch what he said in front of her, not that Harry wasn't always careful around people.

"I know you aren't. I'm saying that we can't walk around with you as our interpreter. It might help in the immediate, but the problems will stay." And he wouldn't want to put Al in the middle of his problems with the other two. He knew where Al's allegiance was and he expected nothing else from him. "We need to figure this out for ourselves. We have time, right?" he said, although he didn't really think that time would help.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]the_other_albus
2021-04-20 11:53 pm UTC (link)
"I don't know how close they are right, um, now. But, they dated for a long time." He tried not to access those memories from his time as Jamie. It felt too much like a violation of his brothers privacy. But him and Savannah dating in the past wasn't a secret, so Al didn't feel bad telling Harry that.

"Time is, is pretty much all we have," he agreed, though he doubted time alone would fix anything. Hopefully Jamie and Lilu could get a chance to see Harry like this. He wouldn't say anything to them, but he might just casually drop that he and Dad were getting along at some point. That would be as much a surprise to them as it was to him.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)


[info]ab_harry
2021-04-21 12:11 am UTC (link)
"I had no idea. She never mentioned it." Then again, he wouldn't have told some random stranger that he'd dated Ginny either. "I suppose I could ask Jamie to talk to her about the Mr. Potter." He didn't think that would happen, but he could.

"And speaking of time, this mess can wait until later. It's time for us to get some lunch." He got up and went around his desk. He almost mentioned that Al's stuttered had almost disappeared, but why rock the boat. "Come on, let's go get some food and hide in a corner."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

Home | Site Map | Manage Account | TOS | Privacy | Support | FAQs