Disclaimer: Not mine

Sorry for the very long wait

Chapter 10

Harry closed the book and pushed it away, leaning back in his chair. Another dead end after months of dead ends. It was very frustrating and he had never been one for research, that had always been Hermione's thing. But there was a lot riding on this and so he kept going. He hadn't told anyone what he was doing, he didn't want to raise false hopes when it was possible he would never find an answer. The thought of losing Dean to old age when he was still young hurt so much. He glanced at the clock and gathered his things before heading for the apparition point to head home before Sam was due home from school.

When the door opened and the eight year old ran inside Harry had just finished making an afternoon snack. He caught the running child and tickled him, making him laugh. "Papa!"

"Any homework?" Harry asked as he let him go and Sam nodded. "There's a snack on the bench." Sam grinned and went to eat before settling in to do his homework. One thing he had definitely kept from being Sam Winchester was his brains. There was talk of maybe bumping him up a grade but they weren't sure about it since he had friends in his grade. Harry watched him work with a sad smile, he was growing up so fast and sometimes he missed having a baby to look after. In another three years they would have to make the decision on Magic School and he wasn't looking forward to it. Most schools were for boarding and he knew none of them wanted Sam away from home for so long. But he had to receive official training, Harry teaching him at home wasn't enough. And there were subjects that he had never studied or was bad at that Sam was already showing interest in. There was no way they were sending him overseas to Hogwarts though, despite the fact that as a Potter his name would automatically be on their list. Britain was still too far behind the rest of the world for that to be an option.

Dean ran his fingers through messy dark hair, being careful not to wake his lover since it was almost one in the morning. He knew something was troubling the wizard, had been for quite a while, and it wasn't just the choice of where to send Sammy for school once he was eleven. It couldn't be his hunting since he hadn't been on one in over seven months so what else? He wished Harry would tell him but there must be a reason he was keeping quiet. Christmas was next week and Dean hoped Harry liked his present, neither of them was materialistic so their gifts were always something that mattered. It was Sam who they both spoiled.

Sam laughed and then joined in the chase as they ran around the playground. Tommy looked tackled him and Sam wriggled free easily before taking off again. He liked playing with his friends but sometimes…..something felt off, like they shouldn't be his friends for some reason, like he'd done this before. Sometimes school work was so easy because he could almost remember having done it. He hadn't told his parents though, he didn't want them to worry. Papa was almost always worried about something, despite how hard he tried to hide it. He was kind of excited but also worried about his birthday next year. He'd be eleven and they had made sure he knew what that meant. The thought of boarding school was a bit scary but he knew he had to attend some sort of official magic school, even if Papa had been teaching him without a wand for years. He just didn't want to leave them for some long.

Sleeping in a dorm would also make it harder to hide his nightmares. He didn't even understand them himself and had been careful to ensure no sound would escape his bedroom to worry his parents. They were strange and often scary dreams but often Dad was in them too which was confusing. Papa never was for some reason. Was it because he was worried about Dad when he was away with Uncle Bobby and sometimes Uncle Cas?

Why couldn't he just be a normal kid?

Dean watched as a lion and pre-teen played in the grass behind their house and couldn't help smiling at the sight. Any other parent would be freaking out at the sight but that lion would never harm Sam, because the lion was also he Dad. The first time he'd seen Harry transform had been a shock but the lion really suited his partner. If Sam learnt to be an animagus what would his form be? He doubted it would be the same as Harry, yes they were similar in many ways but Sam was not a lion. He could see him as a cute little puppy but he doubted Sam would want to hear that.

Times was marching on relentlessly to their sons eleventh Birthday and they still didn't know what to do. They had agreed though that Sam would have a say in where he went, the last thing they needed was the same trouble Sam had given John over schooling after all. This time Sam wouldn't have to run away to go to college, they would help him move into the dorms when the time came. Sam would be able to do anything he wanted to with his life and future and Dean would be proud of him no matter what. His son would never know the fear and pain of hunting or war like Dean and Harry did.

TBC…