{JON}

Jon watched as the proccession of his family and the visiting royalty entered the feasting hall from his position seated with the men at arms. He considered himself lucky that he was not sitting at the head table tonight. This all seemed like too much pomp and circumstance for him.

Lord Hadrian had been telling Jon stories for as long as he could remember. Stories of far off worlds where there was no people chose their own leaders through what he called 'democracy'. Every person from the richest man to the poorest woman got a say in who lead their country. Everyone was counted and the majority party was chosen to lead. even the losers still got a say in the way the country was run. It all seemed a bit too far-fetched from where Jon was standing. Hadrian only laughed.

'Someday... Certainly not soon, this world too will have no need for kings and queens Snowball.' he would say with the face of a man looking into the past.

Jon was getting too lost in his memories, must be the wine. The king and queen had already passed him by and he was now watching his sister Sansa walking arm in arm with Prince Joffrey. Sansa looked beautiful and elegant as always; though Jon supposed as her brother he was a bit biased.

Joffrey; despite being two years younger, was taller than both Robb and Jon. He took long strides as he walked. too long if you asked Jon. his back was too straight. his nose high in the air. A golden choker adorned his neck and he wore the colours of the Lannister house in materials befitting a prince. Jon could not help but dislike him for his for his smarmy looks and the disdainful way he was looking about the hall, and the keep itself. Sansa could do much better.

Jon was more interested in the queen's brothers anyway. Jaime Lannister, the famous kingslayer, bore a striking figure. all and strong with golden hair and glittering armour. Pride seemed to seep off of him in waves. Hadrian once stated the man was like a peacock. Jon hadn't quite known what that was at the time; but later Sep had obliged him by turning into a large colourful bird, struttinng about and presenting its beautig=ful tail feathers. When Jon told him where he had heard of the bird, Sep transformed into a perfect copy of Jaime and strutted about bobbing his head and squawking like a bird. It had Jon and anyone who saw howling with laughter. He smiled at the memory.

Finally he caught sight of Tyrion Lannister at the back of the procession. He seemed to be the antithesis to his siblings. Stunted and ugly with a too big head and different coloured eyes. Like Sep, though not as pretty to look at. His hair was so blond it was almost white. Yet while Harry held little respect for the twins, he respected Tyrion a great deal. on wondered why that was.

Hadrian did not enter with the procession, yet he drew in attention all the same. He had dressed himself up for the occasion. All eyes were on him, taking in his exotic costume.

Gone were his usual rough trousers, replaced with a pair of black leggings decorated with fine silver snakes. His long green tunic remained much the same. The only new decoration was a black leather sword belt about his waist. It held a beautiful sword beside his hip. Jon had seen it before. It wasn't Valyrian steel, though it was like no metal he had ever seen. Hadrian had called it the Sword of Gryffindor. When he had been younger Harry had warned him never to touch it. the slightest scratch could mean death.

A locket rested against his chest and a diadem was upon his brow. The shimmering fabric of his cloak flowed down his back like a waterfall. For such a thin looking fabric Jon knew it to be incredibly warm.

The lord Peverell caught sight of Jon and strode over with a grin. The men at the table quickly making a place for him at the table. One would think the rowdy crown would make jokes at the expenxe of the man's feminen features, however all had been handed their asses by the god at one point or another; worse still it had been done while they had a significant handicap.

Harry ruffled his hair as he sat. Jon half-heartedly swatted at his hand and pouted into his cup.

"What's the matter Jon-Jon? Too much to drink?" The god asked with concern.

"I'm sure he's fine. Just embarrassed by you." A familiar voice cut in. The two looked up to find Benjen Stark grinning down at them. More room was made at the table and Benjen squeezed in beside Hadrian.

"Benji! Good to see you. How is the wall treating you?" The god asked slinging an arm around the man in a one armed hug.

" Don't go embarrassing me as well!" Benjen complained. His tone was laced with affection. Hadrian only grinned and ruffled uncle Benjen's hair as well. The rest of the table laughed.

"Will you tell us about the wall again Uncle?" Jon asked, eager to change the subject, and to hear more about the wall. Benjen indulged his request.

{HADRIAN}

Harry could only frown at Jon's keen interest in joining the Night's Watch. He worried so much already about Benjen's safety. The space beyon the wall had a tendency to blur Harry's senses; there was so much wild magic stewing out there. Every time Benjen went ranging the god could barely tell if he was alive or dead. Loath as he was to admit it, Harry was closer to Jon than any Stark child he had raised in a while. The boy was almost like his own son. The only Stark he could think of that worried him more was little Osric. Lord Commander of the Night's Watch at just ten years old. Those had been trying years for the god. He had spent most of his time with Osric, only checking on the rest of the family when he could be absolutely sure Osric would be safe without him. Sepulchure had stepped in to babysit the others whilst Harry babied the youngest Lord Commander.

'take care of him... keep him safe...'

The memory of that pleading voice rose unbidden in Harry's mind, he shook it off.

Obviously, Harry must have missed something, because no Jon was standing up with tears in his eyes before he quickly left the hall. Hadrian gave it a few minutes before he went after the boy. He passed Tyrion Lannister on his way back inside and gave the dwarf a respectful nod. The Imp seemed surprised.

"Jon!" Harry called.

{JON}

Jon looked up at the sound of his name being called to see Hadrian jogging towards him. He frowned and glanced away with a stubbon look.

"here to tell me not to join the Nights Watch too?" Harry sat next to Jon with a sad smile as he wrapped an arm around the boy.

"I can't tell you not to, but I can ask you not to. Tryna' give your old mum a heart attack?" He asked. Jon looked over to him curiously.

"What do you mean?" Harry sighed.

"When Benji goes beyond the Wall I can hardly tell if he's alive or dead. My senses become... muddy when I try to look through the wild magic out there. You're just a baby Jon, I wouldn't be able to handle-" He cut himself off, unable to finish his sentence.

If it were any other, Jon would have taken offence at being called a baby. however the man before him had watched the birth of his ancestors. Everyone was a child in the face of the millenia Lord Hadrian had lived through.

"You still have Bran, Rickon and Arya to spoil. In your eyes I may be a child in your eyes, but I am nearly a man grown to everyone else." Harry shook his head.

"It's different Jon." Jon turned on Hadrian frustration and anger roiling in his gut.

"How!? How is it any different? Because I'm a bastard? Because you pity me!?" Why did Hadrian always seem to spend more time with Jon over his brothers and sisters? Was it really pity? Somewhere in his logical mind Jon knew he was being ridiculous but he just couldn't stop. Must be the wine.

Harry grabbed onto his shoulders, forcing Jon to look into his eyes. Grey met green, swimming with emotion.

"Because you are like a son to me!" He said forcefully. Jon's eyes widened in shock, anger melting away. Hadrian wasn't finished.

"The other kids think of me as a cool uncle or a big brother, and that is all they need of me. But I raised you. Your siblings had Ned and Catelyn to take care of them. But you... you only had me, and whatever scraps Ned could give you with that damned woman breathing down his neck!" The heat in Harry's voice melted away.

"I was the one who took care of you when you were sick. I soothed away your nightmares, and wiped away your tears. I sang you to sleep when you were fussy as a babe. I am closer to you than any Stark child ever before." He finished in a whisper. Jon sighed, guilty of his previous words.

"I...I apologize. I do not know why I said all those things to you. Or why I thought you were taking care of me out of pity. You are not like that." Harry gave him a soft smile.

"It's called 'teenage angst' and you will grow out of it, I promise." Jon shook his head, cracking a small smile of his own. Harry popped out with all sorts of strange phrases. A whole other language on its own.

"...Other than your worries... any other reason I shouldn't join the Night's Watch.?" Jon finally asked.

"I'm sure I can think of a few. You remind me of myself when I was your age... Burdened by things that shouldn't be on your shoulders."

"I cannot imagine you having ever been my age." Jon said with a wry smile. Hadrian chuckled, their shoulders brushing as they sat beside each other.

"Well believe it, not only was I young, I was human too." They sat in silence for a few moments before Hadrian once again broke the silence.

"When I was born, a prophecy was made. 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...born to those who had thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies...and the dark lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the dark lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...'" It had been so long, millenia even, since Harry had first heard the prophecy that ruined his life. Jon listened to Hadrian's every word intently. He felt that Harry had never spoke of this to anyone else.

"It was what is called a 'self fulfilling prophecy' meaning that it would only come true if one of those involved became aware of it. The Dark Lord learned of it. He tried to to find the child mentioned, in order to put an end to it before it could begin, unaware that it would start everything." He gave a sad, bitter smile and continued.

"He started by killing my parents. When he turned his weapon on me it backfired and he failed. This is how he marked me as his equal and cemented the prophecy." He whispered as he exposed the lighning bolt scar upon his brow.

"He disappeared after that, continuing life as a wraith for ten years before we met again. You know what a wraith is don't you?" Jon nodded, Old Nan had told him stories about them.

"When I met him, he was possessing one of my teachers; he was drinking unicorn blood to survive. I killed the host body, but the wraith escaped. The next year I encountered him in a cursed artifact and killed a basilisk. I killed it with this sword." HE said holding out the sword of Gryffindor for Jon to inspect.

"The blade itself absorbed the venom and became highly dangerous. I was twelve at the time. This pattern continued, and I faced him nearly every year the stakes growing higher. I even fought I dragon when I was your age. I finally ended it in my seventeenth year. By that time i had become Master of Death and learned that I would never die." He gave a hollow laugh.

"But enough of the ramblings of an old man. If you truly want to join the Night's Watch I will support you. I just want you to know you have other options. You could even take my name and become Lord Peverell if you wished. You could travel the world with Sep or I, or we could go to King's Landing and present you as my heir." The two smiled as they imagined it. At least, no matter what happened he would always have Hadrian's support. Even when he had nothing else, he would remember this.

"If I wanted to be a king?" Jon asked.

"I would make it happen." The god promised. Jon grinned.

"Thank you...Mum" Jon felt a bit embarrassed saying it, but the large smile that broke out on Hadrian's face as he pulled the boy close was worth it.

"No problem son." They sat together like that for a while; Jon leaning against Harry while the god rested his head atop Jon's. The muffled music and merriment from the hall doing little to break their peace.

AN/

I am just sorry. such a late update...

You can find links to my tumblr and twitter on my profile if you're interested in bitching me out there.

FH