Square One

No one wanted to sleep in Ginny's bedroom. Neither Nicolae nor Harry wanted to face the memories that waited for them there - memories of happier times with Ginny. Charlie and George both refused point blank to sleep there, either. George claimed the room was so 'girly' it would give him nightmares.

Chuckling at the childishness of the entire situation, Arthur approached his boys. "Are you lot wizards, or not?" he asked teasingly.

He marched upstairs to Harry's bedroom, and with a quick bit of magic he split the rather large bed into two somewhat smaller ones.

"There isn't going to be much room to move about," he said, "but as it's only for tonight, I think you'll manage."

Nicolae and Harry, both feeling very foolish, thanked Arthur and then set about rearranging the room slightly. Harry levitated the nightstand while Nicolae moved the second bed aside, then carefully dropped it down in between the two beds.

"I think that should do," Nicolae said. "Do you mind if Brian and I take the bed by the wall? I don't want him falling out of bed." He paused and turned to look at Harry. "That is, if it's all right he sleeps with me."

"Of course it's all right," Harry assured him. He hesitated a moment, then stepped nearer Nicolae and rested his hand on the other man's arm. "I'm sorry. About you and Ginny."

Nicolae sighed. "I should never have married her," he said softly. "I just...I wanted Brian to have both of his parents. I wanted him to have what you and I never did growing up: a real family. Things had gotten bad between Ginny and me - not that they were ever that good to begin with - and for some reason I believed that marrying her would make things all right. I know now that a pair of rings doesn't make everything better, and that marrying someone doesn't suddenly make you fall in love with her."

"What?" Harry asked stupidly. "Are you saying...that you fell out of love with Ginny somewhere along the way?"

"No. I'm saying I was never in love with her. I cared for her. I even loved her. But I was never in love with her. She never inspired in me that thrilling, terrifying feeling of flying and drowning all at once." He sighed again. "I'm sure you don't want to hear all of this. I should go and get Brian in the bath."

"But....if you weren't ever in love with her, why did you always act so jealous? You looked as if you'd like to hex me every time I as much as looked at her."

"You'll understand," Nicolae said with a sad smile, "in time." He left then, going in search of his son, leaving Harry more confused than ever.

When Charlie slipped into the bedroom and shut the door some ten minutes later, Harry was still turning the puzzle over in his mind.

"Here," Charlie said, thrusting a scrap of parchment into Harry's hand. "Candy says he's the best in the business."

"The best in the business?" Harry looked down at the parchment; it bore a name and an address in London. "What business? And who's Candy?"

"Candy is...well, she's a friend. And - confidentially - she's the reason I can't seem to keep a girlfriend for more than a fortnight. None of them measure up to her, you see, and she's...married to her career right now."

"Oh."

"She's technically still in training. An apprenticeship, or internship, or whatever you want to call it. This isn't the bloke she works for; she says this fellow's actually better suited to your situation."

"What are you talking about?"

Charlie sighed. "That man - Mr. Tamlyn - is a solicitor. The best in all of wizard Britain. Perhaps all of wizard Europe."

"Charlie, no," Harry said, realisation dawning. "I don't need a solicitor."

"Yes, you do. Harry, you should never have had to jump in the middle of things like you did tonight. You and Nicolae both need to make sure your parental rights are protected. And you need to make certain Brian's rights are protected, too. I'm not saying you should sue for custody. I just think you should make sure she can't take him away from you. From either of you."

Harry turned Charlie's words over in his mind for a moment, and then nodded. It made sense, of course. He never would have thought of it on his own, but perhaps...perhaps it would be good to at least meet with this Mr. Tamlyn.

"Go and see him tomorrow, Harry. You and Nicolae will already be in London. You may as well save yourselves a second trip."

Harry nodded again. "All right. Thanks, Charlie."

"You're welcome. Good night, Harry."

~ ~ ~

All that night, and the next morning as they were rushing around getting ready to meet Nicolae's grandfather at The Leaky Cauldron, Harry tried to find a moment alone to speak to Nicolae about visiting the solicitor. They never managed to get that moment alone, however, so Harry was forced to wait.

Papa arrived right on time. He was an imposing man, standing even taller than Nicolae, who towered over Harry. Though pushing 80, the man was fit and trim. His raven hair held only a small smattering of grey, and his face bore few lines. He greeted Nicolae with a warm hug.

"Meu baiat," he said. "You're looking well."

"As are you." The next second he wisely side-stepped out of the way as Brian recognised the man in the doorway and barreled toward him crying 'Papa!'

The old man scooped the boy up and hugged him fiercely.

"I missed you Papa," Brian said.

"I've missed you, too, meu baietel." He shifted the boy a little in his arms. "What have you been feeding this child? He's grown a foot in the last month."

Nicolae laughed. "He is growing up fast." He took hold of Harry's arm then and gently dragged him forward. "Papa, this is Harry."

"Harry Potter, sir," Harry said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Is this the Harry you spoke of, Nicolae?"

"Yes, Papa."

The older man nodded. "I am Ionache Costica Ilie," he said to Harry. "But you...you shall call me Papa, I think."

The amazed smile that lit Nicolae's face told Harry that a great honour had just been bestowed upon him. "Thank you, sir," he said.

The old man smiled at him, and then said something in another language that made Nicolae's face flush. Nicolae answered in the same language, and Papa laughed.

"Come," Papa said, setting Brian down and taking him by the hand. "We've a busy day ahead of us."

The four of them caught a Muggle taxi to a Muggle restaurant for a full breakfast. After, they toured St. Mungo's, as Nicolae's grandfather had requested. He seemed pleased with his grandson's work environment, and even more pleased by the way everyone there seemed to know and respect Nicolae. Everyone also recognised at once that Brian was Nicolae's much-talked-about son, and were so caught up in exclaiming over him that they thankfully took little notice of Harry.

It was while a couple of trainee Healers were playing with Brian that Harry finally saw his opening.

"Nicolae," he said quietly. "I need a word."

Without hesitation, Nicolae moved far enough away that Brian couldn't overhear what Harry had to say, making sure to keep the boy in his line of sight. Papa followed them, either not realising or not caring that Harry had wanted to speak to Nicolae alone. It didn't matter. It was now or never.

"I have a bit of business to take care of while we're here in London," Harry said. "I'd like you to come along, but I'm not sure it would be wise to have Brian with us."

Nicolae's brow furrowed as he frowned. "What sort of business...."

Harry cut him off. "Legal business," he said. "I'm meeting with a solicitor to ensure Brian's best interests are seen to. I'd like you to come with me."

Nicolae opened his mouth to speak, closed it again, and shook his head once.

"Go with him," Papa said. "I had hoped to convince you today to meet with someone, but it seems Harry is one step ahead of me."

"It was actually Charlie's idea. I guess he was one step ahead of all of us."

Nicolae looked over at his son and then up at his grandfather. "Papa, could you...?"

"I'll entertain Brian while you have your meeting. I am not yet too old to mind little boys."

"Thank you," Nicolae said. He collected Brian from his colleagues and the lot of them made their way outside.

"Brian," Papa said, "Your father and your uncle have grown up things to deal with. I thought you and I might go ahead to my boat to wait for them."

Brian forgot any sense of propriety his parents had tried to instill in him and leapt into the air with a glad 'Yippee!' making all of the adults laugh.

"I think that's a 'yes'," Nicolae said. He hugged his boy tightly. "Be good for Papa."

"I will."

Papa placed a hand on Nicolae's shoulder, and the other on Harry's. "We do what we must," he said.

Nicolae nodded, looking pensive.

Papa told them where to find the boat when they were done, and then he and Brian caught a taxicab while Harry and Nicolae waited for another. Soon enough, they found themselves at the entrance to a small but impressive stone building bearing a sign with Mr. Tamlyn's name on it. Taking a deep breath, Harry turned the knob and led the way inside.

The interior of the building was done up in calming shades of blue and green. The chairs in the waiting area seemed comfortable, and a wide variety of magazines lay ready for perusal. Across the room, a witch sat at a desk scribbling furiously. Without looking up, she asked, "Do you have an appointment?"

"No," Harry replied, "I'm afraid we don't."

"Mr. Tamlyn sees no one without an appointment."

"I don't get into London much these days," Harry explained. "My health doesn't really allow it. I was hoping perhaps...."

"Mr. Tamlyn sees no one without an appointment," the witch repeated more firmly. She looked up from her writing, and froze. "Oh." She said. "Oh. You're Harry Potter."

"Yes, I am," Harry sighed.

"Just a moment, Mr. Potter," she said, and disappeared at once through one of the doors off the reception area. A moment later, she returned. "Mr. Tamlyn will see you at once, Mr. Potter."

Harry shook his head, but for once he was glad of his notoriety. He led Nicolae through the now open door.

"Mr. Potter," Mr. Tamlyn said. "Welcome." The man rose from his desk, and Harry wondered at once why he seemed to be surrounded by nothing but veritable giants lately. Mr. Tamlyn rounded the desk and greeted Harry and Nicolae with a handshake. "Gentlemen, please have a seat," he offered as he returned to his own chair. "What is it I can help you with?"

Harry explained the situation with Ginny and Nicolae and Brian and himself as briefly as he could. Mr. Tamlyn nodded gravely.

"You were right to seek council," he said. "Unfortunately, I no longer deal in family law. However," he continued on quickly, "my partner does, and it just so happens that he's damned good at it."

He tapped his wand against a small square box on the wall to his right. A moment later the door opened, and someone said, "You wanted to see me, Roger?"

"That I did. These young men need your expertise. Mr. Ilie, Mr. Potter, allow me to introduce my associate and your new solicitor advocate - Mr Draco Malfoy."

For a moment, Harry had the insane urge to laugh. Why was it these things always happened to him? Beside him, Nicolae had risen and was shaking Malfoy's hand.

"Nicolae," Draco said, smiling slightly.

"Draco," Nicolae said. "It's good to see you again. You're looking well."

"I am well, thank you." He turned to Mr. Tamlyn. "Nicolae saved my life once, when I was young and foolish," he explained.

"You are still young, and more than a little foolish," Mr. Tamlyn replied. "I'll leave you to it, Draco."

Harry forced himself to his feet. "Malfoy," he said as cordially as he could manage.

Malfoy looked perplexed. He glanced from Nicolae to Harry and back again. "Potter. I didn't know that you'd...that is....welcome back, I suppose. Now, why in Merlin's name do the two of you need my help?"

"I'm not even sure where to begin," Nicolae said, sinking back into his chair.

Draco leaned back against his partner's desk and crossed his arms across his chest. "The beginning would be good."

So that's where Nicolae began. He told of how Ginny had come to him after Harry had ended up in St. Mungo's, how they'd ended up tumbling into bed together, and of Brian's birth a few months later. He told of how Ginny had passed Brian off as Nicolae's son for the past five years, and of how he'd realised upon seeing Brian with Harry that the boy was not, in fact, fathered by him. He told Draco how it seemed as if Ginny hadn't intended to ever tell him the truth about Brian, and about the blow up the night before. He managed to spill the entire story without shedding any more tears, but Harry could tell it was a near thing. He placed a comforting hand on Nicolae's arm.

"We just want to protect our son," Harry said.

"So you aren't interested in seeking full custody? You'd have a good case for it."

"No," Harry said, shaking his head. "I just want to make sure that none of us can take Brian from the others. I think Brian needs and deserves to have all of his parents in his life, and I want to make sure that's what happens."

Draco nodded. "Excuse me for a moment," he said and strode out of the room. He returned some fifteen minutes later with a scroll of parchment, which he handed to Harry.

"It's an amicable custody agreement," Draco explained. "That one's fairly standard, though I did alter it to include Nicolae as well as you and Brian's mum. All three of you should look it over and note any changes you'd like made. We can meet again in...say two weeks? That should give you plenty of time to work out the details. At that time the three of you can sign it, and that'll be the end of it."

"What if she doesn't want to sign it?" Nicolae asked, leaning in to read the parchment over Harry's shoulder.

"If any of you refuses to sign, or if the three of you can't agree on all the terms of the agreement, then we'll have to become more aggressive. For what you want, this is the best course of action. We'll get progressively more hostile if need be, but as often as not, parents are able to work things out between themselves."

"Thank you," Harry said.

"No thanks needed," Draco said. He led them out into the reception area. "Celia," he said, "note that this initial meeting with Mr. Potter and Mr. Ilie is pro bono, would you?" He shook their hands. "Gentlemen, good day." With that, he went back into his own office and shut the door.

~ ~ ~

Half an hour later, Nicolae and Harry arrived at the docks. Nicolae bypassed the sleek, new vessels and headed straight for a beautiful wooden tallship. Even without her sails flying, she was an impressive sight. Harry couldn't believe that this majestic ship was what Papa referred to as 'my boat.'

Nicolae led Harry aboard and they made their way to the bridge where they found Papa and Brian. Brian was standing on a crate behind the tiller, and Papa, beside him, was telling him all about sailing.

"I want to go sail, Papa," Brian said.

"Not today," Nicolae answered immediately. "But maybe we can before Papa goes home to Romania."

Brian cheered and did a little dance on the crate, surprising laughter from all of the adults.

"He's very enthusiastic," Papa said.

"About everything," Nicolae agreed.

Without warning, Brian hurled himself off of the crate, clearly expecting Harry to catch him. Harry's reflexes were as sharp as ever, and he easily caught the boy, but he staggered a bit. Even Brian's very slight weight was enough to nearly bring Harry to his knees in his weakened state. He managed to heft the boy back onto the crate before lowering himself to the deck, swearing under his breath.

Somewhere above him, Nicolae was scolding Brian for his little stunt, but Harry was hardly aware of it. He couldn't seem to concentrate on anything beyond his own sudden exhaustion; even his tumbled emotions were pushed aside in favour of contemplating a nap right here on the hardwood deck of Papa's boat.

A gentle touch to his face brought Harry back to awareness, and he opened his eyes to see Nicolae looking at him, clearly concerned. "Harry?"

"I'm all right," Harry said. "I think I just overdid a bit."

"More than a bit. I should have been paying more attention; I knew you would need to take it easy today, but I got too wrapped up in myself...."

"Not your fault," Harry said, cutting him off. "And nothing to be concerned about. I'm fine. Really."

"Even so, you should rest."

"Come," Papa said, taking Brian by the hand, "I will show you the cabins."

With Nicolae's help, Harry gained his feet. Something in Nicolae's expression told Harry that he was lucky the other man hadn't swept him into his arms and carried him below decks. But Harry was far from being an invalid, and he'd make it just fine under his own steam. At least he would as long as Nicolae was there to help him stay upright.

Below, the ship boasted a galley and dining room, a lounge, and a number of magnificently appointed bedrooms. From the sheer size of everything, Harry felt certain that charms had been liberally applied to the ship. So much for Ginny's supposition that Papa's boat would be void of magic.

Papa left Harry and Nicolae outside one of the bedrooms and took Brian to the lounge. Once inside the cabin, Nicolae helped Harry to sit on the edge of the bed. Nick knelt to untie Harry's shoes, but Harry jerked his foot away. "I'm not helpless!" he snapped. Immediately, he felt ashamed, and more so when Nicolae didn't respond in kind.

"I know you're not helpless, Harry. We've been through that." He calmly untied and removed one of Harry's shoes, and then went to work on the other. "What you are is more exhausted than you're willing to admit, and too damned stubborn to take proper care of yourself." He dropped the second shoe on the floor and stood. He looked fairly exhausted himself.

"You should rest, too," Harry said as he threw back the covers and slid between them. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Not really," Nicolae admitted. "Any time I actually was able to stop worrying long enough to drift off, Brian would turn over or kick me, and I'd be awake again."

Harry chuckled. "He does make it difficult to get a decent night's sleep."

Nicolae fidgeted, looking thoughtful. "Harry, does it bother you...I mean, do you mind...is it all right that Brian calls my grandfather 'Papa'? It's just...."

Harry cut him off. "Of course it's all right. You're still Brian's dad, and Papa is still Papa." He sighed. "And I think that for now at least, I should still just be Uncle Harry."

"No," Nicolae said, shaking his head slightly. "He might not understand, but he still has the right to know the truth, Harry."

"Maybe. I just don't want to confuse or upset him any more than he already is."

"He'll be fine. Children are much more resilient than adults. He'll adjust to all of this more readily than the rest of us will."

"Perhaps."

Nicole lingered for a moment more, and then with a quiet, "Get some rest," he slipped out the door and left Harry to his nap.

~ ~ ~

When Harry woke sometime later, clouds had rolled in and a storm was threatening. Their plans for the zoo were a wash. Instead, they had tea on the boat, the light meal prepared and served by Papa's house elf. Zebeda, Harry learned, was a disciple of Dobby's - a free elf. Papa wouldn't have it any other way; he despised slavery in any form. Harry wasn't surprised to find that he and Hermione had hit it off when they met at Ginny and Nicolae's wedding.

After lunch, the adults indulged Brian in a few of the most badly played games of Exploding Snap Harry had ever seen. When the child grew bored with the game, they set to building a castle from the cards.

Harry's feelings toward Brian hadn't changed at all. He had loved the child fiercely before, had been mesmerised by his innocence and youthful exuberance over any new endeavour. The only thing new was the growing sense of wonder and pride that he'd had a part in creating this amazing little boy. And a gnawing worry that he wouldn't be half as good a dad as Nicolae. He'd give it his best shot, of course. How could he not? He'd been given a gift - an opportunity he'd never thought he'd live long enough to experience - and he damned sure wasn't going to waste it.

His emotions starting to get the better of him, Harry looked away from Brian, blinking hard to keep tears from welling in his eyes. Nicolae gave Harry's shoulder a little squeeze and smiled at him.

"Okay, Harry?"

Harry nodded, not trusting his voice just then. Nicole squeezed his shoulder again and then let go. Harry couldn't remember Nicolae being this demonstrative before, and he wondered idly if his ease with physical displays of affection had anything to do with Brian. Harry, himself, had never given nearly so many hugs as he had in the short time since the little boy had become a part of his life.

But then, Harry's entire world had changed in the last few days. He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed deeply.

"Harry," Nicolae said quietly, "If you need to talk...."

Harry did need to talk to someone about all the thoughts and feelings that were doing war inside of him. But not Nicolae. The man had more than enough to be going on with just dealing with his own affairs. And he really wouldn't feel comfortable discussing Ginny with him. "Thank you," he replied. "But I'm all right. Or I will be."

Just then, Brian's card castle exploded with a loud bang. The boy stared at the ruins for a moment and then burst into tears.

Harry scooted nearer his son and pulled him to his side. "Hush, now. It's all right."

"My house!" Brian wailed.

"We can build it up again," Nicolae told him.

"It won't be the same."

The whole situation made a very good metaphor for his own situation, Harry realised. His house of cards had definitely blown up in his face, and it would certainly never be the same again. He felt like crying, too, but he knew it would only upset Brian worse, so he pushed his own emotions aside for now and concentrated on soothing his son.

"You are right, of course," Papa said. "If you build your card house again, it won't be the same." He looked directly at Harry and added, "But with a little luck and a lot of work, you can make it even better."

"And you've got us to help you," Nicolae added. He was looking at Brian, but Harry could have sworn that the words were aimed at him.

Abruptly excusing himself, Harry fled the lounge. He wasn't sure at all where he was going, and although he knew - logically - that wandering unfamiliar environs half-blinded by unshed tears and unable to think past his own emotions was not the best idea, he kept moving. He found himself in the galley, backtracked, and climbed a set of stairs. He tried a door, but it led outside into the rain. Again he turned around, not sure where he was going, or even why. It wasn't like he could outrun his troubles. Finding himself outside a large set of French doors, Harry mused again that there must be enchantments on the ship to make the inside larger than the outside. He'd seen it done to cars and tents, why not a boat? He flung the door open, stepped through into the darkness beyond, and stopped to stare as the lights gradually came up in the room.

He was standing in the entryway to a grand ballroom that had to be nearly the size of the ship itself. Light from hundreds of candles in sconces and chandeliers reflected warmly off of the highly polished hardwood floor. Around the edges of the room, tables covered in white linen stood paired with ornate, gilded chairs, contrasting beautifully with the rich cranberry and gold of the walls. High above, lightning flashed through the glass ceiling.

Harry could imagine standing here, looking up at the stars and moon while music played softly and couples danced and laughed around him. Closing his eyes, he could see the stars, the couples. He could hear the music. And somewhere, Ginny was wearing the finest dress robes his money could buy, waiting for him to come and ask her to dance.

No, he thought, his eyes snapping open. Not Ginny. Ginny, or rather his time with her, was nothing more than a memory now. It was time to rebuild his house of cards.

Letting his eyes slip shut, Harry once again conjured the images of the starlit sky. He could hear the music in his head, hear the murmur of voices, see Hermione beaming up at Ron and Remus trying to smother a laugh as Tonks tripped over the hem of her dress robes. He felt a warm hand on his back, but who had taken Ginny's place at his side?

"Harry?"

The sound of his name brought Harry back to reality and the present. To his surprise, the hand he'd felt on his back was completely real. He turned his head slightly and opened his eyes.

"George? What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Ilie invited the lot of us down for the night. Are you all right? Nicolae's a bit worried. Said something upset you and you disappeared."

"I'm fine." Harry turned his thoughts inward again for a moment, and then amended his answer. "No, not fine. But all right."

"I expect it's all been a bit much, eh?" George said, sliding his hand up Harry's back. He wrapped his arm firmly around Harry's shoulders.

"More than a bit."

George turned Harry so that he could wrap both arms around him, and Harry laughed. "When did everyone get so...huggy?"

"Huggy? That isn't even a word," George returned with a grin. His smile faded quickly to be replaced with the haunted look that Harry was quickly becoming all too familiar with. "When you realise that you're never going to get another chance, that you've hugged someone for the last time...." His voice, now thick with emotion, trailed off, and he hugged Harry a little tighter.

Harry hugged him back. "I'm sorry," he said. And he was, not only for all that George had suffered, but also for bringing it up yet again.

George answered with a quiet shushing sound, not letting go.

A minute or two later, Harry heard footsteps.

"I see you found him," he heard Nicolae say.

Harry took a step back and turned toward the door, but whatever he had been about to say died on his lips. Nicolae's eyes were blazing, his every muscle tense. Harry swallowed hard. "I'm sorry I ran off like that."

"Are you all right?"

"Er...yeah."

"It's been a rough couple of weeks for him," George said, ruffling Harry's hair. "Would you be all right if you were him?"

Harry automatically tried to flatten his hair, and Nicolae's strange mood dissolved with a snicker.

"You're only making it worse," Nicolae said. He finger-combed Harry's eternally unruly hair into some semblance of order and gave him a tired smile. "Everyone's wondering where you are, Harry. We should get back to the lounge."

Harry nodded, glad that Nicolae's mood had improved, and they stepped out of the ballroom.

"Nick, could I have a word?" George asked.

Nicolae gave a nearly imperceptible nod and sent Harry ahead after making sure he knew the shortest route back to the lounge. As Harry started down the stairs, he heard George's voice, the words too low to make out.

Nicolae response was a little louder. "I know," he said. "It's just..."

"I know," George said quietly, his voice barely carrying to where Harry stood.

The conversation continued in murmurs, and Harry hurried ahead. His days of eavesdropping were long past; he was among friends here, and his survival certainly didn't hinge upon a private conversation between two of them.