The Brightest Sun

Chapter 10

Rhaenys had cornered him after two days of silent glowering.

He had been in his study going through the latest missives from Neville when the door had opened. Glancing up, Harry had been bemused at the sight of the little princess, face pinched and eyes narrowed as she stared at Harry.

"Princess," he greeted with a wary smile. "Please, take a seat."

She scrambled onto the chair in front of his desk, little legs swinging as she fidgeted before straightening, and Harry busied himself with arranging the parchments so as not to show his smile.

"What can I do for you?"

"Lord Potter-Black," she said slowly so as not to stumble over the names, eyebrows scrunched together as she nodded in determination. She pierced him with her purple eyes in a stare as intense as her mother's. "I'll not call you papa."

"I don't expect you to," he told her gently.

Rhaenys ducked her head down shyly as she asked, "Do you want to be Aegon's papa?"

Leaning forward in his seat, Harry waited until she looked at him, seemingly having regained her determined pose. "Do you not want me to?"

"You'll play with him," she demanded, straightening once more.

"I will," Harry responded, feeling a tingle of magic. He stared curiously at the little girl as she continued to make her demands. Could they? He wondered.

"You'll teach him? Love him like Teddy?"

"If you wish it, Princess Rhaenys," he told her.

Harry watched as the little girl took a deep breath, almost whispering her final request as he felt the pressure of his magic increasing.

"You'll protect him, always?"

Harry felt his heart break at the tinge of sadness in her voice even as Rhaenys stared unflinchingly at him. He stood suddenly, making his way around the table so as to kneel next to her.

Tentatively, he reached out to hold her hand, his magic surging at the contact. Dimly, he was aware of the portraits watching over them, but Harry focused his gaze on the child holding his hand.

He could imagine why she felt this way, had pieced together enough of their story to know what happened that night, and not for the first time did Harry curse Rhaegar Targaryen.

"So long as you are both in my care, Princess, I will do all I can to protect you," he swore, feeling the magic take hold as the oath settled.

Her eyes widened slightly, and Harry thought she could feel the oath settle on her end as she gave him a radiant smile.

"Shouldn't you be in your lessons?" he said lightly, squeezing her hands as he stood.

The girl shook her head, "Don't wanna read today."

"Want to," he corrected, laughing at the face she pulled. She reminded him of Teddy when he was in one of his moods, and Harry was mindful of the delicate state she would be in after these past two days.

"Come," he beckoned, ignoring his work as he led Rhaenys to the cluster of armchairs surrounding a coffee table.

He sat on the couch, patting the space next to him as he summoned a book.

"Babbity Rabbity?" Rhaenys sounded out, seemingly incredulous at the title.

"It's a good story," Harry defended, opening the book and handing it to her.

"Don't want to read," she muttered, and Harry suppressed a grin as he waved his wand over the book.

The rabbit suddenly came to life, a ghostly echo waiting for the story to begin.

Rhaenys stared wide-eyed at the illusion, hand reaching out to touch the wisps formed by his magic, much as Teddy had done when he was her age – as he still did more often than not.

"Now, now, Princess. The rabbit needs you to read to tell him what comes next," Harry teased, laughing as Rhaenys scrambled to read the story, purple eyes wide with wonder as she flitted between reading and watching the words come to life in front of her.

They spent the time before dinner like that, switching to another story once she had finished, a portrait warning Elia that her daughter was taking lessons with him for the day.

Only once she had left did the portraits on the wall speak, clamouring over each other to have their voices heard.

"You have sworn a solemn oath, Herakles," Aunt Dorea told him, grey eyes glittering with unseen emotion. "Magically binding in it's entirety."

"I've no intention of breaking it Aunt," Harry replied, watching as her lips curved into a fond smile.

"No, I suspect you don't," she murmured.