THE DEVIL'S WHITE KNIGHT→h.p

chapter 4

Padding down to the lounge, Harry was on his way to the kitchen when he saw a familiar, small head covered in dark-tawny curls, and his heart leapt. In the midst of all this adjusting, Harry was attempting to cling to familiar things, and the sight of his godson was a welcome one. His sister was on the sofa with what looked like her Potion's book stretched across her legs, and she looked up with an expression of vague curiosity when Harry entered.

His hand went to his hair, giving it a ruffle, and she smiled, her head shaking. "It's weird to see you do that. You haven't done that for years." When Harry lifted a brow, she mimed his hair ruffle. "The parentals explained everything. I'm not entirely sure you aren't just bored and fucking with everyone but...whatever."

"And you don't care that your brother is you know...gone."

Tilly sighed as Harry walked into the lounge and plopped down near Teddy. He made a motion for the boy to crawl over, which he did, and plopped himself on Harry's lap, immediately going for his glasses as he always had. Absently Harry pulled them off and pushed them on Teddy's nose, to the delight of the small boy.

"I probably should care, but you know you haven't even been round here in what? Two years? Maybe longer if you don't want to count the handful of days you'd spend over the summer hols your last two years of school. I think your sixth year you wrote a single letter home, and that was because you needed more money for Hogsmeade."

Harry pursed his lips, but said nothing as Teddy grabbed his thumbs, stood up on his thighs, and began to bounce. He grinned and leant forward, blowing a raspberry on Teddy's cheek. "Sorry I was such a prick."

"Wasn't you, then, was it?" Tilly challenged.

Harry shrugged. "I suppose in a way it still was. Same universe, just...sort of like a memory charm, in a way. Like my memories were swapped with some other nineteen year old."

"Yeah, a really bloody tragic one," Tilly said, eyeing him. "Pop was totally against me watching the interview, but dad said it was necessary. And I'm not a coward."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Suspect not. Are you Gryffindor?"

Tilly burst out laughing. "No. Fuck, you really aren't my brother, are you?"

Harry winced at that, unable to help it. "Guess not."

Her face softened. "You kept telling me I was going to be a Hufflepuff. The summer before first year. You said it was the rubbish house."

Harry thought about Cedric, momentarily forgetting in this timestream, Cedric was very much alive and well. But the pangs were still there, seeing him lying flat on his back, eyes open. Dead. He swallowed. "Ah."

"Then I got Slytherin," she said with a shrug. "You actually got up out of your seat and rushed over and told me that dad was going to disown me. I cried for three days until the letter arrived from them saying they were proud."

Harry shook his head. "So a prick all round then, am I?"

"Pick!" Teddy cried, poking Harry on the nose.

"No," Harry groaned. "Say nice words, Ted."

"Babababa," Teddy babbled, and bashed Harry on the face.

He laughed, even as his eyes watered, and he grabbed one of Teddy's curled fists and kissed it. "You're always giving me such a hard time, mister."

Then, as if by magic, Sirius was there, reaching down to swoop the boy up and back a few steps away. His eyes were still cold, full of suspicion, and Harry felt it like a hot knife straight into his heart. He nodded at his godfather. "Sirius. Have a good morning?"