My Time
Chapter 82
Charlus was shaking his head, as he paced from one side of the conservatory to the other. His brother would never do what they were suggesting, he just couldn't. He also refused to believe this farce of information that was suggesting that Hayden Peverell was his grandson? It was beyond the realm of credulity, even for magical practitioners for Merlin's sake. His stomach was churning, part of him believed it, and that was terrifying. His brothers own wife couldn't even bloody meet his eyes, couldn't refute what they were saying. No, it cannot be, it cannot. He refused to believe this.
"Oh, poor lost little lamb," Death positively crooned at Euphemia, venturing closer to the woman, who froze, barely breathing as she stared at the deity before her. Her heart was pounding so deliciously quick, to the point that she was nearing dangerous levels. Hmm, if she keeps this up, he'd be coming for her two decades early. Not that he truly minded, he did love collecting his souls they were so satisfying.
Hayden cleared his throat, narrowing his gaze on Death with an unimpressed glare, he didn't do well when people were bullied. Especially one that had already been beaten down by life as it was. Rubbing his forehead in anxiety, he didn't want anyone except Orion to know who he really was. The more people than knew…well, he just didn't want to end up a secret experiment in the Ministry of magic or sentenced to Azkaban until the timeline caught up to him. Merlin only knows exactly what they would do to him. Or try to do to him, like fuck would he sit around and wait for them to do whatever they wanted.
"Tell us," he commanded Death, wishing for him to answer Orion's question. He honestly wouldn't be surprised either way, at Death's answer. She could either be innocent of their (her husband and Dumbledore likely) crimes or she could know and have kept quiet. Either out of true fear or because she'd grown to love James Potter (was that even what Charlus and Dorea would have called him?) as her own or hell to just keep him out of the hands of the nearest relatives, who would gain the entire Potter estate to help raise that child as their own. There were so many ways it could be, Merlin, he was tired, he just wanted to go home.
"She's rarely ever out of Potter manor, and it's well known she's been trying for a child for decades," Death explained, utterly unrepentant, he cared nought for most people, Euphemia included, so he couldn't care less about hurting their feelings. Even Hayden didn't rate the highest, he's just the second highest, the only reason he'd done this was for his good friend, Ignotus anyway. "It was easy enough for Dumbledore to implant the suggestion that she'd gotten pregnant, and had just given birth seven days prior."
Euphemia swallowed thickly, entirely shaken by today's events. Her gaze going from person to person almost listlessly, as she tried to come to terms with not only what she was hearing but everything else too. Up to and including the fact everyone was talking to Death so typical as if it were normal to do so. She felt like she could barely open her mouth, frozen stiff! And they were just going about their day, how? She was relieved to hear that she hadn't willingly taken part in her husband's atrocities.
She knew the fact that she couldn't have said one way or another was…horrendous really. What did it say about her that she couldn't say? She felt so very ashamed and demeaned, the fact that she'd been unknowingly complicit was worse, did she not deserve real love? A child of her own to love? The right to choose? The right to be happy? To have an intelligent husband? She couldn't go back to him, she couldn't, she didn't dare. What if they'd done this to her before? What if they'd tampered with her free will? She felt sick to her stomach, jerking upright, she staggered towards the conservatory doors and pushed them open hastily and ended up being sick in the closest flower pot, feeling worse than ever.
Charlus blinked out the tears in his eyes, as he himself staggered closer to his wife, who was sat on the chair, looking as if her world had collapsed in on itself. Hands clasping her shoulders, before wrapping around her chest. Dorea's own hands clutching over his own, trembling in distress. The fact he'd actually failed his wife was intolerable, the fact it had been his wife and son, unbearable. His own brother…and Dumbledore…his own brother…he was lost, lost to Dumbledore's cult completely. His own brother had killed him and his wife and taken his son. His grip tightened, unable to contemplate the very idea of losing her. The wards were down, he'd get new ones, stronger ones, ones that wouldn't grant anyone entrance except those he and his wife agreed with and only the once. No full-time access, like his brother had enjoyed before, not that he'd used it. He truthfully felt like joining Euphemia out in the garden being sick.
Orion felt fuzzy, his mind buzzing away in the background, everyone around him (except Death) were reeling with this news. He'd thought perhaps Dorea had died in childbirth, and Charlus with Dragon Pox or perhaps both of them suffering and dying from Dragon Pox. He stupidly had not thought that Fleamont would or could for that matter, kill his own brother. Another person in his family that owed Hayden their lives. None of the family would have cared one iota for Dorea, as altered as their mental state was once that marriage contract would have been signed. He would have done it too, all of them losing their magic? It would have been too much to bear.
"Thank you," Hayden croaked out, before moving to sit on the sofa, blindly staring out the door, part of him wanted to help her but he wasn't sure his legs were capable of it. He'd kept Death there for a long time (having summoned him for answers) but he couldn't hold him there for much longer. Not with what he'd already done, it was too much magic even for him. "I'll pay for the reconstruction; I don't want to hear otherwise." He retorted sharply, so that he didn't get denials, he'd done it, he should pay for the work. He had companies already who could do it, people he knew he could trust.
There was nothing but silence after, Charlus was sat next to his wife, while Orion was with Hayden. Euphemia remained near the plant pot, sitting on the grass, unmoving after her unsightly regurgitating everything she'd consumed which admittedly wasn't much but felt like a feast coming back up.
It seemed like forever that all was silent.
"What is your maiden name?" Orion asked, seemingly out of the blue.
Euphemia knew Orion must be asking her, because only an idiot would think he was asking his own aunt what her maiden name was. She'd been born a Black, raised a Black and married a Potter, one that was so different from Fleamont. Charlus was a free spirit, one might equate it to not doing their duty, but the truth was, despite all Fleamont's complaints about his brother…it seems Charlus would do what Fleamont couldn't. She swallowed thickly, it's perhaps what set her husband off the deep end.
But why ask that question? Worse still, it took her a few moments to recall, she'd been a Potter since she was seventeen-years-old. "I was born Euphemia Frey,"
Orion glanced at Hayden in silent query, he knew that by blood Hayden was no longer a Potter and did not have the legacy he had before coming back in time. Death had made sure that his new identity was foolproof. Yet somehow, he still ended up related to some of his family, in an ironic twist. Death probably got his kill out of it. He did have a savage sense of humour.
"My mother was…Grace Frey, my grandparents were Franklin and Yasmin Frey," Hayden told him with a rueful grin, honestly, Death really did just scramble his family tree about, didn't he? Cousin or sibling he wondered icily. Either one, it didn't matter to him, family was family.
"Franklin and Yasmin? That makes her your aunt, I don't recall them ever having another daughter," Dorea murmured, coming back to herself a little. How does one recover from the knowledge she would have been killed by her husband's brother.
Hayden grimaced, "They had her out of wedlock and gave her up, to a damn muggle orphanage." Scowling "Why is it that they like abandoning children while simultaneously saying they were precious?" between his own grandparents and Orion's grandparents giving up Marius it was disgusting. "The sooner we get an orphanage up and running the better." He grumbled in sheer annoyance. He knew it was a massive thing to muggles, having children out of wedlock, but he hadn't thought it would be to wizard kind.
Euphemia blinked owlishly, before it sank in, she had an older sister, a big sister that had been kept from her, her entire life. One she knew nothing about, one who likely was no longer on this earth. It seems family secrets were just spilling out right now, weren't they? Things that had come to past and things yet to come. She had family…she'd had an older sister, a nephew…oh, if only they'd told her. If only she knew, tears finally, finally began to run down her face, as the enormity of everything fell like a dead weight on her shoulders.
Reality had well and truly set in for the unfortunate Lady Potter.
"Very well caught," Hayden murmured quietly so that only Orion would hear him, pressing his head against Orion's shoulder, closing his eyes tiredly, he just wanted this day to be over. He was bone achingly tired, and just done with everything. "Although, I'm not sure if I understand how it works, how was her name still Frey if she was adopted?"
"Her birth name, her magical name would always appear because that's who she is, by blood." Orion murmured quietly, "Magical adoption is different, it would register, either giving both names or just the new name, like Cygnus, he's a Black-Potter." Still on both the Black and Potter families despite what his father had done, same with Alphard and Wally. Muggle adoptions were just names on paper, they held no magical qualities, and did not change the very name wrapped around the core of their very being, of their magic.
"I'm sorry," Hayden whispered quietly, guilt suffusing him, he couldn't believe he'd actually screwed up so badly that three more people were now aware of Hayden's old identity. "What the fuck are we meant to do now?" the obvious choice was to obliviate them.
Orion pressed his lips to Hayden's head, pressing back his hair in gentle moves, "What we must." He murmured, he would protect Hayden from everything that might come to harm him, whether it be magically, physically, or emotionally. He was fortunate to have prepared for this, although, truthfully, he believed he'd be using it on his parents, or Antonin, not this.
Orion actually felt elated that he could help Hayden, for he was very self-sufficient for good reason admittedly. He was asking him for his thoughts on the matter very likely having ideas of his own. It was likely due to the fact Dorea and Charlus were family.
Hayden arched a brow, staring at Orion, he was stunning, he just had that…presence, when he walked into the room people paid attention, noticed him. Sirius had never been like that, not when he knew him. Perhaps Azkaban had drained that out of him, Orion was just full of life, and Sirius…try as he might, he'd been drained of life, gaunt, too thin and hadn't gotten a chance to regain his freedom. He made a vow that Sirius would never experience that, not while he and Orion still drew breath. Shaking off his errant thoughts, "Which is?" inhaling sharply, forcing his body to straighten when all he wanted to do was sleep, he ached in places he was pretty sure hadn't existed until today.
"I had special contracts drawn up to ensure ones silence in regards to you, it will enforce their silence on all subject matters." Orion explained, gaze flickering to his Aunt Dorea and Charlus before glancing at Euphemia before returning to Hayden, satisfied they hadn't overheard them.
"A magical Non-Disclosure Agreement." Hayden murmured, a thoughtful frown furrowing his brows, as he craned to look at Euphemia, he trusted her the least, the idea of rooting around in her head felt wrong, but he had to protect himself, protect Orion, because if he was targeted his soon-to-be husband would be too. Sighing resignedly, "I didn't see this happening."
Orion snorted, "No, likely not." Hayden had managed to destroy the wards on the manor, he couldn't feel a damn thing, and not to mention the structural damage. "Perhaps it's a good thing nobody else will know, I do believe my grandfather would never allow you entrance into Black castle if he knew."
Hayden laughed, abrupt and short, but finding it amusing all the same.
"He wouldn't be shy about it either," Hayden replied in amusement, just imagining Sirius Black's reaction, and Hesper's swifter backing of her husband. He made a mental note to visit Sirius and Hesper again before the party, just to reconfirm it was okay to host it there, and that they were capable of it. He was hosting it yes, but there would be people there who would likely fall back on Sirius and Hesper to entertain them.
Orion smiled, full of fondness, they definitely weren't shy about talking, it was the older generation thing though. Both sets of his grandparents were like that, although his Black grandparents were far blunter while the MacMillians tended to do right by society norms.
"I'd honestly prefer them Obliviated." Hayden confessed, Orion smelt so good, he thought to himself.
"Me too," Orion confessed, his hand absently bushing up and down Hayden's back, in silent comfort.
"But?" he asked, sensing the hesitation there.
"My aunt learned Occlumency at a young age, just like all of us, the Black family has too many secrets to be willing to allow us to forego the lessons." Orion murmured, "We begin learning quite young, meditation and such, by the time we're ten we're proficient in the arts."
Hayden wondered if Sirius and Regulus had been able to learn such craft, or whether Walburga had screwed up in every single possible way. Wondering idly if she had intentionally ended the Black family as a 'fuck you' to her father, to her uncle. Or if she truly thought she would bring the Black family to greater heights and ended up in total ruin. Charlus' shout brought Hayden out of his thoughts.
"How could you possibly be my grandson?" Charlus blurted out, finally getting a second wind and starting as he meant to go on. Hell, he was surprised he could think coherently never mind actually ask questions! Learning your own brother would kill you…he was surprised he didn't need a damn calming draught.
Hayden looked right at him, and bluntly stated, "Time-travel, ever heard of it?"
Orion closed his eyes and groaned, honestly, did he really not have a subtle bone in his body? At least he didn't stress out how a baby was made and then go on and on to paint a rather…blunt picture to which there was little to mistake. He almost laughed quietly to himself just thinking about it.
Dorea just stared at him as if he was Merlin reincarnated, it was all the confirmation she required. This was her grandson; she actually succeeds in having a child. A baby of her own, she'd long since truly given up hope of having one, but continued to try, just on the off-chance, it hurt so much, but the possibility of a child at the end of that journey had her trying over and over again. She stood up, and on wobbly legs approached him, hovering over him for a brief moment, hands hovering over either side of his face as if she feared that if she reached out, she'd find it was all just a figment of her imagination. Swallowing the lump at the back of her throat, oh, she wasn't broken, she wasn't defective, her womb could do the (what felt like) impossible after all.
For all she was a Black, for all she was trained to be the perfect pureblood lady, she couldn't help but cry. Sniffing occasionally, she eventually plucked up the courage to actually touch him, truly half expecting it to go through. Was this real? Was this actually happening? Did she actually meet her own grandchild before she had a child of her own? Merlin, even with magic this was difficult to swallow.
Hayden's eyes widened comically, to a house-elf degree, as Dorea hugged him something fierce. Her bony body clutching him close, as tears slid down Hayden's neck. It wasn't a comforting hug either, he felt confined, imprisoned within her grasp. "Orion, help." Hayden rasped out; he could barely breathe such was her sudden strength.
Charlus just suddenly burst out laughing, surprising them all, causing everyone to look at him wondering if he'd lost the plot entirely. Nobody would be surprised, especially after everything they'd just been through. He did blanch and stop laughing seeing everyone staring at him as if he was insane. Perhaps he was, who knew, he must be mental at the very idea of believing his brother would kill him. "How uh…how much do you believe…" unable to complete the sentence.
One thing to believe a time-traveller but another thing entirely to disbelieve a deity. God of death of all things…Merlin, he truly was crumbling and he didn't want to do it in front of Orion, Hayden or Euphemia. He was so close to breaking. To shattering.
Hayden was staring at Charlus with a look of tired understanding, no pity, no anger, no rage, just understanding. He knew what it felt like to have your entire world upended. At least Charlus was a grown ass man, he'd been a teenager, a child in comparison, and he had nobody at his side when he shattered irreparably. Or it would have been, but coming here, being with Orion? He was slowly coming together in a way he'd never been before. He shuffled away from Dorea, rubbing his throat absently which had been in a chokehold on Dorea's shoulder and neck, she had some death grip on her, he'd give her that.
Orion was his anchor, his lodestone, his everything. He finally, finally didn't always need to be the strong one. Orion hadn't even hesitated for a second in helping him earlier. "I love you." He whispered quietly to Orion, so low, that nobody except Dorea heard him, she was still very close to them, still staring at Hayden as if he was everything she'd ever wanted.
"I love you, too." Orion murmured gently against his ear, closing his eyes, pressing his head against Hayden's. Relishing in the words, it wasn't the first time, and likely wouldn't be the last but they didn't say it every day. Those words were usually after some…trial or tribulation they overcame. Perhaps there would be a day where they'd say it every day, but until that day, and even then, he'd cherish the words. He didn't care what his parents insisted on.
"I want to head home, let's get this over with." Hayden stated, this time he was heard by everyone else, who tensed, an alertness coming over them, wary of what may come.
What chance did they have against someone who had death on their side?
"Please, don't, don't make me forget," Euphemia pleaded, turning onto her backside, her small form trembling at the very idea at ending up back under her husband's control again. She'd done it, she'd gotten the courage to leave, to know what would have been in store for her? It was terrifying. Being unwillingly complicit in her husbands crimes? No, no, she couldn't, oh, Merlin, she didn't want to go back. She wouldn't be strong enough to leave again. "Please, I won't tell anyone, I swear, I'll do whatever you want."
She wasn't stupid, she knew that the easiest thing to do was to Obliviate them and make them forget everything that had happened. The very idea of losing these memories made her feel sick. She would do whatever it took to retain her memories of what had gone down.
Of what sort of sick twisted individual her husband had become under Dumbledore's control.
He wasn't the boy she married.
Shivering in the cold, sat on the grass, she fervently prayed that for once things would go her way.
A/n - Someone already figured out that Euphemia was actually still related to Hayden *smirks* so kudos to you for that lol but I think I had already made it known that Hayden was more or less still related to the same people with it just scrambled about a bit in the beginning chapters, I think, could be just my own thoughts (laugh) wouldn't surprise me to be honest lol
2nd A/N – finally got everything done for Xmas! Woohoo! Well, except sending my nieces present will need to do that soon it means I have more time for story writing although it's for some strange reason been very difficult to write out chapters this week, I've still been bursting with ideas, looking forward to writing but when I get on my laptop I swear I just sort of deflate a little and don't get as much written as I'd like although, it's not just that though I've been spending time with my family (just had an anniversary passing (my oldest brother) and will have one in a month in a bit all over again) but I think we all do this during the holidays and Xmas don't we? I think I'll challenge myself to get 3k written every day, bought some energy drink so hopefully that will help! Fingers crossed! *cracks fingers* I do love a challenge! Let's see if I can live up to it eh! Happy Holidays to those who celebrate and as always thank you so much for all your wonderful comments and reviews, they might not seem like much but they mean the world to me! and I especially love all the guesses on what's going to happen, they feed my muses like crazy! R&R