Harry Potter Tripped Through the Veil and Found a Family

Flirting & Weasley's-Atticus Defends His Mother!

Harry watched as Draco read the letter again! Harry was curious as to who would challenge him to a duel but he was sure they weren't actually challenging him, but Hadrian. It was kind of annoying how most of the Wizarding World was unable to see them as separate people but Harry would be happy to change their minds.
"House Botrel has given an ultimatum. Either you marry their youngest daughter or you duel for the insult. This is all my fault." Draco had his hand buried in his hair and Harry snorted, causing him to look up at him.
"Draco, I know we haven't been together long but this kind of stuff happens to me all the time! So what?" Harry was actually feeling rather restless so a good duel was just what he needed!
"Harry, it's not that easy. You've been challenged to a duel. If you lose, the winner can ask for any kind of favor! I should have just kept paying them!" Draco looked furious as he crumpled up the paper.
"Wait, what? Why were you paying them?" Harry had never even heard of House Botrel but it sounded French.
"Hadrian had been seeing Collette. When her Father found out, they broke it off and he demanded House Malfoy pay for ruining his daughter. I sent them a sum each month but stopped when Hadrian died." Harry's mouth was dangling open as he tried to comprehend what Draco told him. These people had blackmailed him? Harry felt his chest fill with righteous anger and snatched the letter from Draco's hands. He skimmed it before signing the bottom, agreeing to meet at the Ministry next Monday for the formal meeting. He was going to get even.
"Draco, it will be fine." Draco's lips parted before he froze, his eyes blank.
"Alright, I'll let you take care of it." He seemed stiff as he shuffled the parchment on his desk and Harry relaxed. It seemed Draco realized he was serious about this.
"How much money did you send them every month?"
"One thousand galleons." Harry choked on his spit as he tried to catch his breath.
"On-one thousand?" Merlin! That was a lot of money!
"Harry, that's pocket change to the Malfoy Family." Draco seemed amused by his reaction and Harry shook his head.
"Bleeding rich people." There was a tap on the door before Ron stuck his head in, his eyes curious.
"You okay, Harbear? Mione said her Harry senses were going off." Harry waved the parchment around before grinning at Ron.
"I got formally challenged to a duel!" Ron just sighed and left, probably to tell Hermione about the trouble he had gotten himself into.
"Mummy!" Atticus ran through the door and into his arms, his cheeks red.
"Mummy, I missed you! We saw a movie with Uncle Sirius and he cried!" Atticus was smiling as he giggled and Sirius came in with Scorpius on his back.
"I didn't cry, you little monster! My eyes were watering."
"It's okay to cry, Padfoot. Mummy said so." Scorpius looked pleased with himself as he hopped down and came over to greet him. He kissed his cheek before saying "hi mummy, I missed you too." Harry sniffed at the boys behavior. They really were wonderful children..
"Can we see the clothes you bought?" Atty was hopping up and down in excitement.
"Yes! Mummy can have a fashion show!" Scorpius squealed and Harry found himself getting dragged out of the office, the two men laughing at his predicament. Atticus jumped on his bed as Scorpius rooted around in his closet. Harry had shoved all of Other Harry's clothes in the back, knowing he wouldn't wear them.
"Mummy, do you think the Weasley's will like us?" Scorpius asked, his back to him. Atticus was staring at him too and Harry realized both boys must have been worried about the dinner tomorrow.
"Of course they will! Uncle Ron loves you and they will too. If they don't, we'll leave." Harry said, trying to soothe their fears.
"But the Weasley's are your family!" Atticus cried out, his hands twisted together in his lap. Harry scooped Scorpius up and dropped him beside his brother. He crouched down so he was on their level.
"Yes, they are. The Weasley's have been my family since I was eleven but you and Scorpius are more important to me." Harry would mourn losing the Weasley's if they didn't accept the children but that was it. He grew up in a house where the adults despised him and he wouldn't subject the children to that. Harry liked to think it hadn't affected him but he knew he had some emotional scarring from it, his inner child never fully healed.
"We are?" Scorpius's voice was small and he was gripping his brother's hand tightly as they stared at him. He felt his chest ache at their question.
"Of course you are! I've always wanted a family of my own and I finally have it." He hugged them both tightly, promising himself he would tell them often how much he wanted them. It seemed Other Harry's indifference had given them both some insecurities and Harry would work hard to fix it. Children shouldn't question whether their parents wanted them.
"Now! Do you think these go together?" Harry held up a yellow shirt with plaid pants and Scorpius laughed loudly.
"Mummy! That looks horrible!" He spent the next hour trying on all of the fancy clothes Narcissa had bought him. She had already planned outfits so most of the trousers had a top to go with it. The boys ooo'd and ahh'd as he strutted around the room.
"Looking hot, Harry!" Hermione said as she walked through his door, Ron at her side.
"Thanks, love." He winked at her. When Ron had left during horcrux hunting, he and Hermione had barely survived it. They had leaned on each other, perhaps a little too much. They had been so young and it was terrifying knowing that they could be killed the next day. When Ron finally came back, Harry and Hermione had been closer, an unspoken bond between them. He hadn't questioned it and their trio was stronger because of it.
"I hope mum makes shepherd's pie." Ron sighed dreamily and Atticus spoke up.
"I like shepherd's pie too!" Ron gasped before bringing their faces together.
"My goodness, Atticus! We might just be twins, separated from birth!"
"Don't be silly, Uncle Ron. We can't be twins because you're old!" Hermione spat out her tea as Harry slid off the bed, his sides aching from laughing so hard. Scorpius gawked at his brother before whispering something in his ear. Atticus whipped around to look at him, his eyes slightly panicked.
"Not you, Mummy! Only Uncle Ron is old!" Harry was wheezing as he hit his fist on the ground, panting as he tried to catch his breath.
"I've never felt so insulted! I'm only twenty one!" Ron was pouting as he turned his back on them but kept talking.
"Hermione is the oldest among us!" Harry covered his mouth as Hermione's eyes narrowed on her boyfriend.
"What are you trying to say, Ron?" He stuttered as he tried to take back his words but it was too late.
"Boys, in this situation, the only thing you can do is RUN!" Ron ran out of the room with Scorpius and Atticus behind him. Hermione scoffed but closed the door.
"Plan that, Mione?" Harry asked as he flopped on his bed, happy the day was almost over.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Harry!" She had her hand pressed against her chest, the picture of innocence. She laid beside him and they stared at the ceiling together.
"How are you doing?" Harry thought about her question, his mind whirling.
"Isn't it funny? After everything we've gone through, all of the pain and suffering, it didn't matter? Oh, sure we saved the Wizarding World but for what? So I could live alone with Kreature? I'm angry. This Harry got everything he asked for and it still wasn't enough." Harry closed his eyes and waited for her to say something.
"Good thing he croaked, yeah? It'd be a pain to try and get rid of him." Harry turned to stare at her and she smiled at him.
"You don't regret coming? I was afraid you'd miss home." He wasn't looking into her eyes as he asked, afraid of her reaction.
"Don't be ridiculous, Harry! Home is wherever you are. I couldn't live without you." Her voice had softened at the end and he couldn't help his shy smile. He was awkward expressing himself to his friends but he loved them dearly.
"I do have a question." Harry waited and tensed up at her sly grin.
"Do you like Draco?" Harry didn't even think about it.
"Course I do! Can you imagine if our Draco was like that? Merlin, Hogwarts would have been a breeze. We could've just had Lucius take care of our problems." Hermione opened her mouth before closing it.
"Right. You're so silly sometimes, Harry." She pinched his cheek and he swatted her hand away.
"What? What'd I do?"
"Oh nothing." She sat up before facing him and he copied her pose.
"So tell me about the duel." They bent their heads together as they plotted, having been in this position countless times sitting in a dingy tent.
"You won't believe this! Draco told me-" Hermione listened as he ranted about the audacity of the Botrel Family, her hair growing frizzier in agitation.
"But don't worry, I've got a plan." They had matching grins as they finally left his room, intent on finding Ron and the children.