A.N.: So I read Payne's Gray 's oneshot Bunnies in Hats and this Idea was just too great to pass up! So I wrote my own story with Permission from Payne's Gray to adopt the concept as my own! So here it is…lol I hope I do Payne justice!

Odin! Dost Thou Remember

When we in early days

Blended our blood together?

When to taste beer

Thou did'st constantly refuse

Unless to both 'twas offered?

-Saemund's Edda (Thorpe's translation)

Chapter 1: Mortal Blood

James pointed his wand at the 'man's chest with a steady hand his eyes narrowed dangerously. There was no way to know for sure that anything James could do would hurt this 'man', hell James wasn't even sure this creature had a heart at all to aim for. This man was the one that he held responsible for all those sleepless nights, the endless fighting, the crushing guilt, and this 'man'…this 'god' was the one that could destroy his family.

"Don't come any closer!" James hissed as the 'man' made to move around him. He was exactly what James had imagined he would look like, tall, black hair, pale, and the greenest pair of eyes that he had ever seen. They were greener than even Lily's eyes…and they stared right through him. Irrationally James decided that he had never hated anyone more than this man, more than he had ever hated Severus Snape, more than he hated anything in his entire life.

James had long since gotten over Lily's betrayal, it hadn't been her fault not really, they had been fighting a lot and she hadn't been thinking straight. Plus, James was sure this 'man' had somehow tricked her into it, as he was after all the god of trickery and mischief. Loki inched closer the door, and James growled lowly. "Give me the excuse you mother fucker," James whispered dangerously.

"I have the right to see him," Loki said.

James gripped his wand tighter in anger, "I was there every step of the way, I held her hand as she suffered through labor, he has my name, he is my son now…not yours." James said harshly trying as hard as he could to keep his voice low.

"We both know that he isn't yours," Loki hissed back at him as he took a step forward.

"Stay away from my family!" James growled out.

"James, what's going on? You'll wake the baby," Lily said as she left their bedroom only to freeze and pale at the sight of Loki. She quickly moved to stand beside James who was blocking Loki's way into the nursery. "What are you doing here?!" Lily hissed out through tightly clenched teeth.

Loki glared at both of them, "I am here for my son, and you will not stop me."

Lily returned his glare tenfold, "That is where you are mistaken Loki, you made it clear that you would have nothing to do with me when things between us ended. That baby is my baby and I will not give him up to you!" Lily said fiercely.

Loki's eyes glinted dangerously and James was reminded that for all he may look it, this being was not a man, he was not human and he was very, very dangerous. James stepped in front of Lily pulling her slightly behind him. Loki smirked at them, "Do you really think you…mere mortals…are equipped to handle a son of Asgard? He will need more care than you can hope to provide!" Loki said his voice rising slightly.

"I don't care what my son is! I will provide for him! I will be the one raising him! Not you Loki! Besides he is half mortal and you made it clear that such beings are beneath your notice!" Lily growled at him venomously.

"I won't allow a pair of mortals to keep my son hostage! You will give him to me or suffer the consequences!" Loki nearly shouted back.

"And when our son is old enough to ask, what reason will you give him for killing his mother? Because that is what you will have to do to take my son from me! Kill me, because I will fight for him until one of us dies!" Lily said firmly in return. Just as Loki made to reply a soft crying began in the nursery drawing all of their attention.

Something about the man softened, "At least let me see him…I only recently returned and found out there had been a child…let me see my son." Loki said softly. Lily looked torn for a moment, James looked ready to spit fire, but as the volume increased in crying Lily made a decision. She nodded slightly placing a calming hand on James' arm and led the way into the nursery. Her little Harry was lying crying desperately at having been woken up but he calmed down as soon as Lily picked him up.

Loki stared at the small baby, only three months old clothed in green, inky black hair chaotically wild on his head and his eyes…they were all him. James kept his wand trained on Loki not trusting the king of tricksters to not pull something. Lily held Harry so that Loki could see him and more importantly Harry could see Loki. James felt his heart constrict tightly when he saw the resemblance between Harry and Loki as clear as day.

No one knew about Lily's mistake, not even Sirius, and James was determined for it to remain that way. Since no one knew Harry wasn't his blood they saw what they wanted…telling him that he looked just like him with Lily's eyes. James knew better, Lily's eyes were beautiful but they weren't an otherworldly green…like Loki's…like Harry's. Harry was much paler than James could ever be, his hair was darker, in fact James could see very little of himself in Harry. However, to everyone else Harry was all James in appearance…James felt his heart squeeze painfully knowing just how wrong they were about that.

Loki was staring at the baby in wonder, never had he thought about having a child of his own, that he could be a father. "May I hold him?" Loki asked gently.

Lily hesitated though, eyes narrowed in distrust, "I would have your word Loki…on the Allfather that you will not spirit my son away." She said firmly. Loki seemed to hesitate, not wanting to give such an oath which would bar him from ever taking his son home…where he belonged.

"I give you my word, on the Allfather that you have nothing to fear from me this night," Loki said in turn. Lily seemed to grip the baby tighter hearing the loophole in the oath but she still allowed Loki to take her baby from her arms.

The moment he had his son in his arms Loki tensed, James' eyes narrowed as he watched, but then a great weight seemed to bare down on Loki making him slump in defeat. Still he held the baby in his arms tenderly, "What is his name?" Loki asked as he allowed the baby to grip his finger tightly in his small hand.

Lily paused, "His true name is Harald Leifr Iacomus Loki Potter, and we call him Harry for short."

Loki looked down at the child pensively, "A mighty name indeed." Loki murmured.

The name Harald was the name of kings, it meant the leader of an army, Leifr roughly meant 'heir' or descendent, Iacomus was the latin form of James (a tribute to Lily's husband no doubt), his own name (noting the boy's true father), and still she had given the boy her husband's family name. The name held a lot of meaning…as true names often do and it was a wonder Lily had trusted him enough to give him it. Still this small baby was his blood, his first son, and that held more meaning than most realized.

Loki gave Harry back to Lily reluctantly, an air of defeat and hopelessness around him. "Have no fear of me, you may keep our son and raise him as you wish," Loki said the words hang heavily in the air.

Lily tensed, "What is it?! Why have you suddenly given up taking him from me?" She said distrustfully. James went to stand by Lily's side, wand at ready to do whatever it took to protect his family.

Loki seemed as if there was some great weight on him, "The child may have my blood…but he has your mortality…I could not take him to Asgard no matter how I may wish to…even I must bend to the law of the Allfather." Loki said each word torn from him reluctantly.

James relaxed his grip on the wand, their Harry was mortal, he would grow as any normal child would, he would age and he would die eventually…as any human child did. Lily seemed to radiate sadness, finally grasping what Loki would not say and indeed could not say. Asgard was a place of immortals, no mortal child could ever be allowed entrance no matter who the father was and Odin...as Zeus had before him…had forbidden direct involvement with mortal affairs. Loki could not claim their son even had he wanted to as there was no place for them on earth or Asgard.

Loki regarded them coldly, he stared at James fiercely, "Protect him." Loki said simply before he turned to leave.

But then Lily called out, "Wait!" and handing James Harry she ran to the side of the room picking up a photograph from the many piled on the shelf. She ran over to Loki and handed him the picture, careful to avoid touching him for James' sake.

Loki looked down at the photograph, a recent one of Harry, it show him in a fit of giggles green eyes sparkling with baby mischief. "Would you object to me coming to see him every once in a while?" Loki asked eyes still firmly on the photo.

Lily took a moment to give it some real thought, "As long as you don't take him from his home…you may come to see him." Loki nodded then left them quickly wanting to distance himself from the pain of being in his child's presence.

He would come back for Harry's first birthday, and while he could not give Harry a physical gift Loki cast his own protections over his son. The war the mortals were fighting was sure to touch his son…so Loki gave what little protection he was allowed to give to Harry. Loki would have preferred to simply kill this 'Dark Lord' but that would mean death for him as well since he would be breaking the law of noninterference. Three months latter James and Lily died protecting their son.

~Loki~

Loki waited for the old man and his servants to leave the street before he approached his son sleeping on the doorstep of Number 4 Private drive. He had to make sure Harry was alright, he had felt the danger his son had been in, his magic had barely managed to protect him from death's cold hands. Loki kneeled before the bundle of blankets running a gentle hand through his child's hair to inspect the damage done to his forehead.

The lightning bolt scar stood out in sharp contrast an angry red against his snow white skin and Loki was never angrier that he could not destroy the mortal who had dared inflict such an injury. If Thor ever discovered his son, Loki was sure he would gloat about Loki using his rune to place a protection on the boy. Not that Loki was ever planning on letting Harry's existence be discovered by anyone from Asgard as it would only invite more pain.

It was painful enough that Loki knew he would have to stand by and watch his son age and die. Loki would not be able to withstand that and having to deal with Asgardians jeering at him about it. He muttered more protections over his son, some warming charms as well, before he picked him up to hold him in his arms for a moment. Loki knew come morning he would need to place his son back on the doorstep and return to Asgard to avoid suspicion...it was never an easy thing though.

Harry stirred snuggling closer to Loki's chest and Loki felt his heart break once more. This was a curse, loving something so fragile and fleeting that would be gone in a blink of an eye to a being such as him. Loki sat staring at his son's face mesmerizing every line, every feature, hoping that he would never forget what he looked like. Keeping Harry's existence secret had been hard, but Loki refused to share him with anyone else. It was a good thing he knew all the secret ways to cross worlds without falling under Heimdall's gaze otherwise keeping Harry secret would have been impossible.

~Harry~

Harry sat up awake in his cupboard waiting for the clock to strike midnight and for his birthday to finally come. He would be six, and while that didn't really mean much to him as the day itself. His daddy would be coming to see him at exactly midnight, like he did every year, and Harry couldn't wait to see him. There was just so much to tell him, about school, about his magical accidents, about his teddy bear that Dudley had managed to find and destroy. That was okay since Harry was sure his Daddy could get him another teddy and he would hide it better this time.

As the clock struck midnight Harry was staring at the door to his cupboard intently waiting for it to open. When it did Harry burst out and clung to his Daddy's form tightly crying silently into his shoulder. Harry understood why his Daddy couldn't take him away from the Dursleys, why he only saw him once a year, and why he couldn't tell anyone about his Daddy. It was never an easy thing to bare but Harry did it for his Daddy.

His Daddy loved him, that was enough for Harry, and his Daddy never lied to him. So whatever Harry asked, no matter how hurtful the truthful answer was his Daddy made sure to tell him the truth. When Harry had asked about his mommy…since he couldn't remember her at all his Daddy had told him the truth. His Daddy hadn't loved his mommy or known her very well, so Loki told him what he did know. That she had been married to a man named James Potter when she had made Harry with Loki and that to the world Harry was James' son.

That his mommy was very beautiful, with red hair, green eyes, and that she had loved Harry very much. Harry held onto that, as he held onto his Daddy's love when it got really hard for him at the Dursley's. Harry told his Daddy all about what he had been up to this year, about everything he could think of and then he asked him questions. About Asgard, about his Uncle Thor, asking for stories about their battles together and about his Grandfather Odin.

Then came the questions about magic…as it always seemed to and Loki regaled Harry about the mischief he got up to using his Magic against his brother Thor. Harry got a few mini-lessons on magic and managed to actually do some before the sun began to rise bringing the day along with the Dursleys. Harry was sad to see his Daddy go but he knew he would see him again…if he was lucky sooner rather than later. His Daddy kissed his forehead, murmuring words of protection over him, and then they had their goodbyes. Harry tried not to cry since he knew it hurt his Daddy to see his tears.