Hank's Story

Lily gulped. It was a month before graduation. One month left to be with Alfred.

And now this.

Lily trembled. She wasn't sure, herself, how she felt. What would he think? They hadn't thought it was possible. They thought they were safe.

But magical medicine tells no lies. She was two months pregnant with the squid's child.

What would he say? Where could the child go? What would it look like? Lily couldn't keep it - what would James say? No - that was not an option. What was she to do?

Well, one thing was certain. She was pregnant, and Alfie needed to know. And this Gillyweed wasn't going to swallow itself. Lily gulped it down and dived into the watery depths of the lake, where she knew her lover would be waiting.

The water was cold for mid-May. Lily hugged her arms to her chest. Where was he?

Suddenly she felt warmth envelop her. She jumped.

Alfred's tentacles slipped around her. Lily sighed and shrugged her hair out of the ponytail it was in. She reached out for his beak and stroked it absently. She kissed him softly.

Alfie played with the strap of her swimsuit teasingly. Lily gave him a stern look.

"We need to talk."

Alfie brushed her hair out of her face and waited for her to speak.

Alfred was so kind that way. He always knew when to talk and when to just listen. Not like James - James just talked all the time. Lily took a deep breath.

"Alf - I - I - I'm pregnant."

Lily closed her eyes. She could feel Alfred's eyes boring holes through her head. She heard his mangled English break through the silence.

"Wajmes?"

"No!" Lily said, her eyes opening suddenly. "N-no, Alfie, we haven't - the baby is ours." She started talking very quickly.

"I - I know we didn't think it was possible, but it happened, and - and I'm scared. I'm horrified - I'm too young to have a baby. I'm engaged. To James. And I should love him, I honestly should, because he's a really great guy sometimes, and - I don't. I - I love you, and it's killing me because I know that in a month I'm going to lose you and - and now this-" Lily choked. She couldn't continue.

Alfred gave her a sad look. "Sok, Llls. Iluboo."

Tears cascaded over Lily's cheeks, mixing with the icy-fresh water and forming almost-clouds. "I - Iluboo, too," she whispered.

Everything was going to be okay.

*

It was dark. Lily's teeth chattered in the chill of the biting midwinter air. Hardly a week had passed since the baby had been born, and already she had to give him up.

A baby's cry pierced through the thick air. Lily hushed Hank with a finger to her lips.

"Hush," she said softly, hugging the child close. "Shh. Mummy's here. Mummy's here..."

She placed a soft kiss on the baby's forehead. His hair was already thick and deep brown, like Lily's father's. In fact, most of his traits were of Lily's lineage. The only trace of the boy's father in his features was his eyes. They were a silver-gray, murky and mysterious.

Just like Alfred.

Like a chip off the old block.

...like father, like son.

It was like letting Alfred go all over again.

Oh, enough of that. She'd managed this before, somehow. She'd manage it again. She would pull through. She always did.

Lily walked up the steps to the Muggle orphanage and paused. She pulled out a piece of paper and set the baby down on the step. Hesitantly, she placed the paper on his blanket.

His name is Hank.

Lily pulled away and stared at her first child for one last, long moment.

"Mummy and Daddy love you, sweetheart," she murmured in the night. "Goodbye."

And with one last glance and the swish of a cloak, she was gone. The only remaining trace of her presence was a few tears mixing with the soft earth.

She never saw her precious again.

*

A few weeks later, another young witch appeared on the step of St. John's Orphanage for Boys. She had wispy blond hair that shone like sunlight against the new fallen snow. Her name was Narcissa Black-Malfoy, newlywed of Lucius Malfoy. She was tense - it could be seen in her eyes and actions.

"Then there's this one 'ere," said the woman in charge, a kindly old nun called Sister Charity. " 'es a bit of a mystery, 'e is. Found 'im right on the steps, not a month ago. 'es a quiet one, all right, but friendly enough. 'is name's 'ank. Poor creature. 'is mather prably couldn't afford-"

"Yes, yes," Narcissa said quickly. Lucius would be wondering what was talking her so long. She was supposed to be at the hospital, delivering her own baby. That would hardly take an hour, and she'd been gone for nigh two.

On the other hand, Lucius probably wouldn't notice. A;; it would take was a Hair-Dying Charm to lighten up that hair. Yes, he would be fine.

"He'll do," Narcissa sighed. She picked the baby up, and for just a fleeting moment, was caught off guard by its deep, murky-gray eyes. She wondered, for a moment, whose child she was holding. Who would want to abandon such a beautiful baby boy?

And more importantly - why couldn't she have one of her own?

She shook herself out of her moment of weakness forcefully. Regardless of what that traitor Sirius had done to them, and what her married name may be, she was still, in her heart, a Black. And Blacks did not wallow in their misery.

She would not sink to her cousin's level.

"The papers," she said softly. "I'll sign the papers now, then."

Ten minutes later, she was walking out of the orphanage with the baby in her arms.

"Hank," she said softly, muttering the name as if pondering something. "Hank..."

Hardly a suitable name for a Malfoy. It would have to go. She paused for a long moment.

"Draco," she said softly. "Draco Lucifer. Draco Lucifer Malfoy." She tickled his chin, a grin forming on her face.

"Mummy loves you, Draco."

The boy cooed and grabbed Narcissa's finger. His grip was strong. Already half a Malfoy. She tapped his head lightly with her wand. His deep brown hair turned majestic gold. Narcissa hugged the baby to her chest, and as she readied herself to Apparate, she closed her eyes.

"Yes. Mummy loves you, sweetheart."

*

Hank grew up as a proud Malfoy. He was taught the concept of pride before he could even walk; Lucius Malfoy saw to that. He was pampered from the time he arrived at Malfoy Manor. He was sheltered from the real world - hidden from what he later found to be most consoling.

Truth.

Hank was lied to - brought up in a swarm of lies and pride. He never knew of his naivety until his "family" was kept away from him - not until his Hogwarts years did Hank begin to question who he truly was.

It happened on a sweltering day near the end of Hank's sixth year at Hogwarts. He had escaped the Slytherin common room and was walking idly along the lake, wanting nothing more than to be alone for a little while.

The water of the lake was rippling gently, though more than usual. Hank raised an eyebrow at this - that wretched squid was at his games again. Just when he thought he was alone.

Hank sighed and sat down by the side of the lake. The war, his father's imprisonment, and oncoming graduation had caused him to question a great deal of things. One thing that particularly troubled him was an unnerving experience that had happened over the spring holiday. He had gotten up in the morning, as per usual, when he glanced sidelong at the mirror and gasped.

His hair had, by some strange phenomena, turned a deep shade of brown.

He was about to scream - he had already begun to open his mouth when he did a double take.

And his hair was back to its ordinary splendid gold.

Intimidated by the experience, he had stared at himself in the mirror for a long while. Shadowy gray eyes stared back at him through the mounted glass. He shook himself out of his trance and headed downstairs for what promised to be an elegant breakfast. He met his mother in the dining hall. She sat at the far end of a long table, but "Draco" walked up and sat next to her.

She lowered her newspaper and smiled at him tiredly. Her eyes sparkled. And it was then that he noticed...

His own murky-gray eyes were of dull comparison to his mother's sterling silvery bright ones.

Hank shrugged himself out of his shadow of thought. That time was passed - graduation was ahead. Once he graduated, he could leave the whole thing behind, and all would be well.

The ripples of the lake suddenly increased a great deal. Hank watched the water curiously. A swollen pink head emerged from the water. Hank blinked. How often did the squid leave his watery kingdom? He had not seen the giant squid do so before; although, there was the fact that he seldom paid any attention.

The giant creature turned his mammoth head slowly. It was really a thing of great beauty, the sun shining against its moist skin with such splendor that Hank marveled at its magnificence. It was almost comforting, in a way - it caused in the teenager a rather peculiar feeling of home. He was not sure how this came about, as he had never seen the thing before, but before long the feeling of satisfaction increased as the boy stared at the fascinating creature.

It was then that he realized...

Gray eyes. Deep, murky, beautiful gray eyes.

He was home.