Son of a Lord

Escape

"Lily please-" 

She looked up at James, her green eyes that were so like Harry's glistening with tears, the bags under them deep and grey. She hadn't slept, she hadn't eaten anything, and she definitely hadn't spoken to James. 

"Don't," she said quietly, "Please James, I can't do this right now." 

"But you have to understand!" he exclaimed, "Theo and Harry were using dark magic; in the school!" 

She slowly turned to look at her husband, hair array, glasses wonky on his face. 

"You threw our sons in jail," she spat, "Our sons James. They could've murdered someone and I would've covered it up," she said, standing from where she sat in the Potter's kitchen. "I would've done anything to help them!" 

"I am an Auror Lily!" James yelled, suddenly so tired of it all. "Don't you understand that? I have to do my job-" 

"Fuck your job," she spat. "And you can tell that to Theo and Harry when we visit today. You can look them in the eyes and tell them you were only doing your damn job." 

In a whirl of rage and bright red hair, she fled from the kitchen. James balled his hands into fists, breathing out loudly and squeezing his eyes shut, thinking stupidly that if he wished it hard enough, Theo would appear in the seat next to him, smiling and laughing. 

"Calm down Dad," he would say, grinning. "It was only a joke."

If only it was that simple. 

If only Harry hadn't been taken, if only he hadn't been corrupted by Voldemort, reshaped into the monster that he was. James thought of Theo, sweet, innocent Theo, wielding dark magic like it was natural, like it was easy. It made him feel sick. 

James stared blankly at the Auror robes flung over a chair, the red fabric like blood. He grabbed it, scrunching it in his hands before slowly pulling it on and stepping to the floo, trying to pluck up the courage to call out to Lily. 

~~~~~~~~~~

They sat in silence, the two of them. 

They had done so for hours, or maybe days. The lack of windows and the constant artificial light made it hard to track the time. 

Harry sat on the floor, his head resting on the bed where Theo lay. The floor was cold against his legs, and if he closed his eyes he could almost imagine his Father striding through the door, pulling him up and taking him home right then. 

"Harry?" Theo said in a small voice. 

Harry's eyes snapped open, unused to the sound after so long in silence. 

"Yes?" he said eventually, his eyes slipping closed again. 

"Tell me a story." 

Harry frowned, "About what?" 

A short pause, and then, almost too quiet to be audible, "Anything." 

Harry sighed, thinking of something to say. 

Until it came to him. 

"You know Draco Malfoy?" 

A sound of disgust, "Of course." 

"Well there was the time we went into muggle 

London with you Harry. I won't do it." 

"Seriously Draco," a thirteen year old Harry said, "It'll be fun."

"You father will kill us both," Draco said firmly, "And why would we want to go into a place infested with dirty muggles?"