Potter-Malfoy-Lestrange?

Chapter 31

James looked at Severus with joy and happiness all over his face. He couldn't believe that Severus made it. James didn't even doubt Severus before gulping down the antidote that Severus and Marvolo made and hugged him tightly. The bitter aftertaste of the potion didn't change his mood in the slightest. Severus smiled and hugged him back while the other two men were looking at him with dark eyes. 

"James, you need to take this every week till we know for sure that the poison in completely eliminated from your body." Marvolo interrupted their hug and James looked at him with a big smile. 

"Thank you so much, Marvolo." James hugged him too. Marvolo was never hugged before like this. He was stunned for a moment before he patted James on the back awkwardly. James didn't notice his awkwardness at all and instead continued to hug him even more tightly. 

"James, I guess that's enough." Lucius tried to pull him away, but James pushed his hand away. 

"Marvolo, I want to treat you at a nice restaurant. Are you free tonight?" James asked him with a big smile and Marvolo chuckled. No one dared to call him by his first name or hug him or ask him out for dinner before James. Even if Marvolo is feeling a little envious towards James for having Severus' interest on him, he can't say that he hates James. 

In the past week, while making the antidote, they grew closer and he felt that James is quite adorable. If he has a son in the future, then he wishes him to be like James. Even though he is poisoned, he is carefree and happy. He is not acting pitiful to gain other's attention. He even wanted to help in making the antidote, but they don't know how the potion fumes might effect his state and denied him. 

Marvolo used to visit James quite a lot to chat with him and they have a lot in common when it came to politics or interests. Except Marvolo likes Dark arts more than Transfiguration and James vice versa. Marvolo was surprised that James doesn't hate dark arts like he thought Gryffindors would. James is quite different from what he imagined him to be. Even Rodolphus and Lucius were surprised at that new information about James. They never talked to him about Dark arts, it seems. 

"I'm absolutely free." Marvolo smiled at him. "Aren't you going to invite the others?"

"Wha- Oh yes." He smiled at the other two men in the room. "Would you like to join us for dinner tonight, gentlemen?"

"I would love to, but I have some urgent work. Lucius will join you." Rodolphus said to him with a sorry face. "I really want to join you guys, but I have to go."

"Oh." James pouted slightly as he looked at Rodolphus sadly. "Are you going to come back in the morning? I want to meet you once before I go back to Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" Lucius asked looking reluctant. "You want to go back there after everything? What if they try to do something to you again? You can't risk yourself like this when they are still alive." 

"I can't spoil my education because of them." James said shrugging slightly. 

"You can get private tutors. Both of us can teach you. Hell, you don't even need us to pass your NEWTs, you can just go and give your NEWTs now and you are going to excel them easily." Lucius said desperately not wanting James to go back. 

"But my parents-" "I can convince them." Lucius promised. "I can help you convince your parents."

"I just have to go for one month before I can come back for Yule and then it's only 4 months after that and the last month is probably just exams." James tried to reason with him. "Also, Evans just tried this on me and she won't dare do it again so soon. It will take her time to create something new."

"You can't risk it. There's still Dumbledore who surprisingly got access to potions that he shouldn't have. It's not safe." Lucius didn't give up. 

"But, I'll be fine as long as I don't eat and drink anything without checking." James said frowning slightly. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."