I Am The Son

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything related.

"Remus?" Lily Potter whispered into the deadly silent room, her voice shaking as much as Grimmauld Place's library had not too long before.

Chapter Four

"Who the fuck are you?"

Remus Lupin's strangled question may as well have been shouted. He stood in the doorway with his wand firmly raised, his brown corduroy trousers and striped woolen jumper well-worn and patched in places. His hair was a mess and there were dark circles under his eyes; eyes that were slowly sharpening, the shock and disbelief fading under heavy suspicion and a hard, war-surviving mistrust.

Draco had seen that look many times in the years since Potter-the-twat had saved them all. He'd seen it in his own eyes. It wasn't something you could avoid.

"Christ, Moony, you got old."

"James."

"What? He did!" other-Potter protested, turning from his wife and throwing Lupin an easy grin. Draco got the feeling that he was trying to lighten the mood. Instead, all it did was make Lupin's eyes narrow. His grip on his wand tightened, the aim now shifting to land directly on his once-dead best mate's chest.

"I repeat; who the fuck are you?"

The grin died and James Potter very slowly rose to his feet. "Moony. Mate. It's me."

"You're lying," Lupin said calmly. His eyes flicked to Draco for a brief second and then snapped right back to the person he thought was an imposter. "James and Lily Potter are dead. You're using Polyjuice or something similar, it doesn't matter what, but you are not James Potter and if you don't drop the charade right now, I will drop it for you."

"Remus, it is us," Lily Potter said softly, her face pale. Pushing herself up by her hands, she used the bookcase as leverage to get to her feet as well, her slight body swaying once upright. Ignoring the wand pointed at his heart, other-Potter shot over to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"All right, love?"

"I'm fine, Jamie. Just a little lightheaded. Remus, ask us a question."

Lupin's brow was furrowed, his eyes locked on the way other-Potter was fussing over his wife. "What?"

"Ask us a question. One only we'll know the answer to. Like the Order used to do."

"Yeah, Moony, you know the drill. Ask us."

Pressing his lips together, Lupin again looked at Draco. There were questions in his eyes, ones Draco knew he was going to have to answer sooner or later. For now though, all he did was scowl and look down until he felt Lupin's eyes leave him.

The guilt was unexpected. He didn't like it.

"Rem?"

"What was Lily Potter's reaction when she first found out she was pregnant?"

Surprised, Draco looked up in time to see other-Potter's brows wing as he turned to his wife. Mrs Potter's face was slowly turning red, her worried expression transforming into a look of irritation she was sending straight at Lupin. Lupin's expression was bland, his wand still high.

Lily huffed. "Did it have to be that question?"

"Yes," Lupin said. His eyes didn't falter. "Answer the question."

"Yes, Lily-flower, do tell."

"Shut it, Potter. Fine," the witch sighed, glaring at Lupin. "I'll answer the question, but only because this is something that only Remus and I were ever supposed to know, so it'll prove who we are irrefutably. My first reaction when I found out I was pregnant was severe and crippling panic."

Other-Potter's eyes went wide behind his glasses. "What?"

"Christ, I didn't want you to know about this," Lily grumbled, leaning more solidly back against the bookcase and rubbing the back of her neck. Her husband's arm didn't move from around her waist. "It gives the complete wrong impression. Yes, James, I freaked out when I found out Harry was on the way; enough that Remus had to talk me through a panic attack. We were so young. Still are, I guess." Her laugh was as humourless as her eyes were timid when she looked at Potter, who looked like he'd been slapped in the face with a fish. "I just… I loved you so much, and the day I married you was the best of my life up to that point, but this was a baby. It seemed like such a life-altering event. Life-stopping. Remus calmed me down and got me to think, and I talked to you after, you remember that. I was thrilled about it then. I just didn't tell you about the first bit because I didn't want you to think I didn't want Harry."

Draco watched as a rush of fond exasperation swept across Potter's face. "Well, you're a bit daft, aren't you?"

"Maybe a bit," Lily said after a moment, smiling as other-Potter wrapped both arms around her and tucked her head under his chin, the action looking so utterly natural that it made Draco uncomfortable. Something in his stomach twisted, agitation quickly trailing in its wake.

They were in company, for Merlin's sake. Public displays of affection were not meant for company. Potter was a pureblood, he should know that.

"Sweet Jesus."

The whisper shot through the room, drawing the attention of all three. Lupin's face had paled even further; so much so Draco thought he was going to pass out. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, and very gradually, his wand lowered.

"Lily?"

Lily Potter smiled warmly and turned in other-Potter's arms, her back to his chest. "Hello, Remus."

"Hey, Moony. Long time no see, yeah?"

Lupin's face was grey. "P-Prongs," he muttered hollowly, and then his legs gave out. Lily Potter gasped as he collapsed, Draco's body jerked, and other-Potter very gently lifted his wife in his arms and carried her across the room, dropping them both to the ground once he'd reached Lupin's side and taking Lupin by the shoulders. Lupin's head lifted as if dragged against his will at the touch.

"Rem? Don't go swooning on me, mate. Padfoot was always the biggest bird of us lot, you don't want to steal his crown, do you?"

The burst of laughter Lupin let out sounded more like sobbing. "H-how?" he asked, wiping his face. "How is this possible? Oh god, James… James." Launching himself forward, he threw his arms around other-Potter, almost knocking him over. "You're alive. How? James, you're alive."

"Yeah, but I won't be if you break my ribs, Moony," other-Potter laughed. He wrapped his arms around the older man and hugged him back. "Hey there. All right?"

"N-no. I guess. Y-yeah. I-I don't know how this is possible though. How is this possible?"

"It isn't us you should be asking, Remus," Mrs Potter said softly, running her hand over Lupin's hair. Draco winced. Fuck if he hadn't liked being forgotten about. "We don't know the answer to that either. But we're guessing he does."

Without saying a word, Lupin disentangled himself from other-Potter and turned to the redhead next to him, wrapping her up in his arms. The silence continued as they embraced, and Draco was just beginning to think about testing his returning facilities and trying to edge towards the door when Lupin breathed in through his nose and opened his eyes, looking right at Draco over Lily Potter's head. Their gazes clashed, and sucking in a fortifying breath, Draco lifted his chin and sent his coldest look back.

It felt like he'd been pinned to the floor. Fuck.

"Draco. I think you've got some explaining to do, don't you?"