A Life in Flux by: Nenagh24

A Life in Flux

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THIS STORY PLOT, HARRY POTTER, OR BLACK BUTLER. IF I DID I WOULD BE RICH AND TALENTED.

- Evolution -

When asked later Harry's family would swear it was a gradual thing, but no one really knows for sure. The simple fact that the Dursleys didn't know their nephew in the first place threw a shadow on all of their accounts. But no matter what had really occurred, when the Weasleys arrived on that Sunday in August it seemed as though they were meeting a new person.

After all of that talk about locking the poor boy up before his second year, Arthur had been expecting a very different family dynamic than the one he saw as he stumbled out of the now cleared fireplace. The three strangers sat stiffly on their now white furniture, each pair of lips drawn together; one pursed in distaste, another stifling anger as his face grew purple under the dust, and the last thinned in fear. Yet even as he apologized and rambled on, not one of them uttered a word as their eyes darted from the destruction to the family that caused it to the doorway and back.

"It's a bit scary, don't you think?" one of the twins asked him, looking slightly disquieted himself. His brother looked no better as he commented, "Like statues, they are."

"It may do you both some good to learn a little from them," their father commented, unamused by their teasing no matter how unusual he found the family's behavior himself. Maybe this was normal for most muggle families?

Ron snickered at the looks on his older brothers made faces at the very idea of being as silent as statues before asking the question on everyone's mind, "So, where's Harry?"

"Right here," came a cool voice from the doorway. Not one red-head could keep their jaw from falling open as they looked to the figure standing there, leaning calmly on a cane. Harry bore their shocked inspections easily, looking almost bored as they took in how messy black hair had been replaced by a smooth dark gray and at least one of his eyes had gained an almost aqua hue, the other covered by an eye patch and hair from his fringe.

But even bored he stood more regally then he ever had before, his once slouching shoulders now sitting square as he raised a brow at their continued silence. "Shall we go?" Ron attempted to swallow his jealousy, he even sounded richer now. His struggles with his errant emotions went unnoticed even as his brothers got wrapped up in teasing their brother's best friend over this new-found posh demeanor that he had gained over the summer. After bantering with him for a moment, they then grabbed his trunk and, without having to be asked, walked it to and through the fire as if it was the most natural thing to help their brother's best friend with any heavy lifting.

As they made their way back through the fireplace, they left the still eerily quiet and unknowingly seething muggles behind them. Around the corner, a figure stood with his back against the adjoining wall. His polite smile never left his face as he listened to the ruckus in the next room, even after a century had passed his master still knew how to cause a stir.

- Family -

The child no more than three, if that, sat happily on a plush rug and jabbered on happily as he played with the deceptively simple toys scattered around him. A man and woman, obviously his parents smiled and 'played' along with him as they listened to his almost nonsensical mish-mash of words. They seemed quite content to let this continue for the next while, but the fun was cut short along with the child's words.