Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Arcane Academy	By : fazed Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Slash - Male/Male Views: 67604 -:- Recommendations : 8 -:- Currently Reading : 29
Disclaimer: All characters, settings, etc. of Harry Potter are the property of their respective owners, J.K. Rowling. The author in no way profits from this story.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
Chapter 20

Harry had just finished dressing when his communication orb started beeping. Stifling a weary sigh, Harry reluctantly grabbed the orb and activated it, knowing it could only be one person. And sure enough, Remus' face was reflected in the orb's surface. Harry opened his mouth to greet the other man, but the words froze in his throat at the worried frown on the werewolf's face.

"Harry, thank Merlin you're alright! I've been trying to get in touch with you for two days now. What happened?"

Harry winced at the question. "I was in the infirmary."

"You were in the infirmary," Remus repeated slowly. "Details, Harry, and make it quick."

Just then, the bedroom door opened, and Octavius walked into the room. "Are you ready to... go?" The words trailed off when he saw the communication orb in Harry's hand and the person reflected in the orb. "I guess we're taking the day off. I'll get Zenith and Tristan." With that said, Octavius promptly fled from the room, leaving Harry to deal with his irate guardian.

Harry scowled at the empty doorway before looking back at Remus. "I was stabbed in the back by Silas Hargrove."

Remus paled at the blunt statement. "You were stabbed?" he almost screeched. His features quickly darkened with rage. "How dare that little upstart hurt my kit! I'll kill the bastard!" He then proceeded to rant about the numerous ways he was going to do exactly that.

Harry listened to the werewolf rant, eyes wide at the man's creative methods of impending murder. He turned a little green, though, when Remus threatened to rip Silas' intestines out through his arse and then ram them down his throat. Octavius, on the other hand, was impressed with the werewolf's threats. It was such a shame Remus hadn't gotten to Silas first.

Zenith finally decided to interrupt Remus' rant. "It's a moot point, Mr. Lupin. Silas is already dead. He'll not be hurting Harry ever again."

“And where were the three of you while this was happening?” snapped Remus. “As Harry’s mates, it was your duty to protect him, and you didn’t.”

“Remus, that’s not fair,” said Harry reproachfully. “They can’t be with me every waking moment, you know. We are still in school, and we have separate classes. You can’t expect them to ignore their education just to keep tabs on me at all times.”

“It was my fault,” Tristan interjected softly. “If I hadn’t refused to sign the betrothal contract, Silas never would have attacked Harry.”

“Shut up, Tristan,” snapped Harry. “Silas is the only one to blame for this. He chose his own damn actions.”

“He was a moron, anyway,” said Octavius dismissively. “To be perfectly honest, I’m kind of disappointed that Mr. Lupin didn’t manage to get a hold of the bastard first. That death would have been much more satisfying than a mere broken neck. Hell, I would have been happy if he’d just been alive when Zenith ripped his stinking corpse apart.”

Remus stared at Octavius for a long moment before shaking his head in resignation. “I don’t know if being courted by a demon is a good thing or bad thing,” he muttered softly.

“Well, I don’t know about any other demon, but these two demons are definitely good for me,” said Harry, poking both Zenith and Octavius in the arm. “Don’t worry about me, Remus. I’m fine now.”

“I can’t help but worry about you, Harry. You’re my kit,” said Remus softly.

“Which reminds me,” said Harry with an impish smile. “When are you and Bill going to have cubs of your own?”

Remus blushed brightly at the question. “Hush, Harry. You’ll probably have kits before we do, and that better not happen until after you graduate.”

“No worries there, Remus. I’m far from ready for that right now,” said Harry reassuringly. Harry checked the time and sighed. “Remus, I’ll talk to you later, alright? I would rather not miss class today if I can help it. I have potions this morning, and Grey will ruin all my hard work if I leave him alone.”

“Be safe, Harry, and call me tomorrow,” said Remus firmly.

“I will. Love you, Remus,” said Harry, deactivating the communication orb. Setting the orb back on the bedside table, Harry grabbed his bag and stood. “Come on, guys. Class starts in fifteen minutes.”

“Are you sure you want to go to class today?” asked Tristan softly. “Healer Carrington said you could take today off if you needed to.”

“I know, but I really just want everything back to normal,” said Harry. “Besides, I wasn’t lying about Grey. He will ruin our potion if left to his own devices.”

“Alright then. We’ll see you at lunch,” said Zenith.

Harry nodded and hurried out of the room. He made it into the Potions classroom with only a minute to spare. Taking the seat beside Grey, he was a little surprised when the tiger barely acknowledged him. However, the professor started class before he could ask his friend what was wrong.

The next three hours were spent in near silence, and Harry was getting increasingly worried at Grey’s uncharacteristic docility. As soon as classes ended, Harry grabbed the tiger by the arm and pulled him out of the classroom into a nearby alcove.

“Are you alright, Grey?” Harry asked worriedly.

“I’m fine,” said Grey listlessly. His words were belied, though, when his face turned a faint green, and he turned and vomited on the floor.

Harry quickly banished the mess and started leading Grey toward the infirmary. “Obviously, you are not fine. Why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

“I’m not sick,” said Grey tonelessly.

“Then what would you call that?” asked Harry impatiently. When they reached the infirmary, Harry pushed Grey onto one of the beds and called for Healer Carrington. However, it was Madame Mullins who answered the call.

“What is it, child? Is your injury bothering you again?” she asked when she saw Harry.

“Injury? What is she talking about, Harry?” asked Grey curiously.

“I’ll tell you later,” Harry told Grey quietly. He looked at the medi-witch and gestured toward Grey. “No, I’m fine. I actually called you in here because of him. He just got sick after class.”

“I see,” said Madame Mullins, walking up to the bed. She cast a quick diagnosis spell on the were-tiger and gasped in surprise. She then ran several more tests before she finally stepped back. “Child, you need to drop the glamour immediately. Using that type of spell for too long will damage the fetus.”

“H-How far along are you?” asked Harry, staring at his friend in shock.

Grey sighed and cancelled the glamour. Harry’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw the blond’s slightly swollen belly.

“I’m due in three months,” said Grey bluntly.

“And who is the other father?” asked Harry softly.

Grey rolled his eyes at the brunet. “Who do you think it is?”

With that response, there was only one person it could be. “I see. Does he know?”

Grey snorted derisively. “Of course not, and I have no intentions of telling him. It was a moment of weakness over the holidays. Besides, what’s the point? It’s not like he can drop everything to help out with the kid. He has other responsibilities to deal with. His fiancé for example.”

“You should at least tell the professors,” said Harry sternly. “What if the fumes from the potion we were working on today had harmed the baby? Or what if you get hit with a spell during practicals?”

“Maybe that’s for the best,” Grey muttered softly.

“Do you really feel that way?” asked Harry gently. “Do you truly want to end your child’s life before it’s even begun?”

“No, I don’t want that,” shouted Grey, covering his stomach protectively. “But I can’t do this on my own. It’s just… too much.”

“You’re not alone, though,” said Harry comfortingly. “I’ll help in any way I can, and I’m sure Zenith and the others will do so as well. Besides, Zane may surprise you if you give him the chance.”

“The fact of the matter is, Harry, that as much as Zane may want to help, there’s really nothing he can do for me,” said Grey bluntly. “He’s certainly not going to leave his little fiancé to be with me, and to be perfectly honest, I don’t want him to. As much as I care for him, I can’t deal with a mate that’s constantly unfaithful.”

“So what will you do?” asked Harry hesitantly.

“I’m going to put it up for adoption,” said Grey firmly.

“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?” asked Harry softly.

Grey smiled tightly. “Harry, I’m only seventeen. I’m not ready for kids. Giving the baby to a family who will love it the way it deserves is the best thing that I can do for the child.”

“You know, Remus may be willing to adopt the baby from you,” said Harry slowly. “He’s always wanted kids, and this way you could see the baby as much as you wanted. Plus, he’s a shifter, too, so he would be better able to care for the child as it grows into its powers.”

Grey’s head shot up in surprise. “Remus? Do you really think he would?”

“Come to my room after supper, and we’ll ask him together,” said Harry with a warm smile.

Feeling a burgeoning hope in his chest, Grey quickly agreed.

XxX

Remus was curled up in front of the fireplace, reading a book, when his communication orb went off. He got up to activate, idly wondering who was calling him. Whoever it was, hopefully it wasn’t with more bad news about Dumbledore. He was quite sick of that manipulative old man and his constant schemes to find Harry.

Remus activated the orb and blinked in surprise when he saw Harry and his friend, Grey, reflected in the orb’s surface. “Harry, I wasn’t expecting a call from you so soon. Did something happen?”

“Kind of,” said Harry hesitantly, unsure of how to broach the subject of the baby to Remus.

“Are you alright?” asked Remus worriedly.

“Remus, you want kids, right?” asked Harry quickly.

Remus’ eyes widened at the question before narrowing in fury. “Which one of them touched you, kit? I’ll kill him for pupping my baby.”

Harry stared at him blankly for a moment before he realized exactly what Remus thought. “That’s not what I meant, Remus. I’m still as virginal as ever, so don’t worry.” He glanced at Grey and took a deep breath. “Grey’s pregnant, and he wants to put the baby up for adoption. But I know how much you like kids, so I thought I’d ask if you were willing to adopt the baby instead.”

Remus sat down heavily, staring at the two boys in shock. “You want me to…? A-Are you sure that’s what you really want, Grey?”

Grey scooted closer to Harry so he could see into the orb better. “I’m only seventeen, Mr. Lupin, and the other father has responsibilities elsewhere. I can’t take care of the cub on my own.”

“What about your parents? Wouldn’t they help you?” asked Remus softly.

“There’s a chance the baby could be born an Incubus. If that were to happen, my father would kill the child, or cast it out anyway,” said Grey bluntly. “It’s safer for the cub this way.”

“And when is the baby due?” asked Remus, thinking fast. He would need to talk to Bill about this, and if his lover agreed to adopt the baby, Remus would have his own cub to raise. He loved Harry all his heart, but he’d always wanted a baby.

“In three months,” said Grey timidly.

“Give me a week then to give you an answer. I have to discuss it with Bill first,” said Remus gently. “Is that alright?”

Grey nodded and gave him a watery smile. “That’s fine, Mr. Lupin.”

“Then I’ll talk to you then. Take care, Grey. And you too, Harry,” said Remus, deactivating the orb. Putting the orb away, Remus waited impatiently for Bill to come home.

As soon as the redhead apparated into the cottage, Remus pounced. “Bill, would you consider adopting a child with me?”

Bill almost fell on his arse in shock. “A-Adopt a c-child?” He looked at the werewolf closely and saw the barely disguised hope in Remus’ eyes. “You really want us to raise a child together?”

“Well, what I actually want is for us to get married, raise a child together, and grow old together,” said Remus seriously. “But if-” The rest of his sentence was cut off by Bill’s lips.

Bill slowly ended the kiss and pulled back to look at Remus. “I want all that, as well. Now tell me more about this child you want us to adopt.”

Remus quickly told Bill about his conversation with Harry and Grey. When he was done, he asked, “So what do you think?”

“I think you’ll be a wonderful father, Remus, and if you want to adopt the child, then I’m behind you all the way,” said Bill.

Remus threw his arms around Bill with a cry of delight.

XxX

Tristan scowled at the blond were-tiger sitting on the bed next to Harry. “Are you finally going to tell us what’s going on? You’ve been antsy for the last week, and I want to know why.”

Harry looked at Grey and raised an eyebrow. “Well, Grey?”

Grey sighed and reluctantly nodded, but before Harry could say anything, his communication orb started beeping. Grey’s breath caught in his throat, and he watched intently as the brunet activated the orb, revealing Remus as the caller. His entire focus narrowed on the werewolf, anxiously awaiting an answer.

“Hi, Remus. You look like you’re in a good mood,” said Harry, staring at his guardian thoughtfully. “Does that mean you-”

“Yes, it does. I talked to Bill, and he fully agrees,” said Remus quickly. He looked over at Grey and added, “That is if you still want to go through with it.”

“Of course,” said Grey, almost sighing with relief. He’d been terrified that Remus would refuse. He didn’t know what he would have done if that was the case.

“Alright, then you need to let your healer know the current situation so he’ll know to contact me when you go into labour,” said Remus gently.

“I’ll do that,” Grey promised. “Thanks, Mr. Lupin. I really appreciate all your help.”

“I’m happy to help. I just wish it was under better circumstances,” said Remus sincerely.

Grey smiled wanly and nodded. He then checked the time and sighed. “I’m sorry, but I have to go now. I promised to meet Zane in the library at eight.”

“Good luck,” said Harry.

“Whatever,” muttered Grey, stalking out of the room. He was already dreading the upcoming conversation with Zane.

“So that’s what you’ve been so secretive about the past week,” blurted Tristan. “Damn, no wonder that hyper tiger has been so docile lately.”

"Well, yeah. I'm sorry for not telling you, but it wasn't my secret to tell," said Harry apologetically.

"Don't worry about it," said Zenith, sitting on the bed beside Harry and wrapping his arm around the kit's shoulders. "It's perfectly understandable. Grey's your friend, and he needed help."

Harry just nodded and leaned against Zenith, closing his eyes wearily. He couldn't imagine going through what Grey was having to deal with. Honestly, the thought of any of his three suitors leaving him and choosing someone else made his heart clench in pain.

"Zenith, what's going to happen when the courtship ends?" asked Harry timidly.

"What do you mean, Harry?" asked Zenith curiously.

"What if I can't choose a single suitor?" asked Harry, looking down at his lap.

"Then we are going to have some wicked fun on our bonding night," said Octavius, sitting on the bed and pulling Harry into his lap. "Just imagine it. Me, Zenith, and Tristan all worshiping your gorgeous little body all night long. We'll make love to you so many times, you'll be imbued with our scent for eternity."

Harry shivered at the promise, cheeks flushing as the images came to life in his mind.

Octavius smirked at the telling action and kissed the brunet's neck. "Can you see it, Harry?" He swept his hands under Harry's shirt, brushing his fingertips over Harry's nipples. "Can you see me paying homage to these sweet little nubs?" He delicately pinched the brunet's nipples between his fingers, pulling a soft moan from the kit.

Harry's head fell back against Octavius' shoulder, unconsciously baring his neck to the demon. He reached one arm back, settling on the back of Octavius' neck and pulling him closer. "T-Tavi," he gasped breathlessly, arching into the demon's caresses.

"Damn, that's fucking hot," whispered Tristan, staring at the pair with wide, lust-filled eyes.

"Agreed," said Zenith, sliding off the bed and kneeling on the floor in front of Harry.

"Look at Zenith, Harry," Octavius purred seductively. "His mouth is almost watering for a taste of you." He nodded to Zenith and watched the Dracken slowly reach for the button to Harry's trousers. Zenith deftly unbuttoned and unzipped the brunet's trousers, pulling them down enough to free Harry’s hard arousal. Taking advantage of Harry's distraction, Octavious quickly pulled Harry's shirt off. With those rosy nipples finally bared, the shadow demon trailed his lips down Harry's chest and ran his tongue teasingly around one of the tight little nubs.

Harry moaned only to shriek in pleasure when Zenith licked his cock from base to tip. “Zenith!”

Zenith smirked up at Harry before taking the brunet’s cock in his mouth.

Seeing the open-mouthed, wide-eyed look of pleasure on Harry’s face, Tristan finally broke and joined them. He knelt beside Zenith and grabbed Harry’s chin, pulling him into a passionate, toe-curling kiss. Harry immediately wrapped his free arm around Tristan’s neck and eagerly returned the kiss.

With the three of them playing Harry’s body like a fine-tuned instrument, it didn’t take long to bring Harry to orgasm. He screamed in Tristan’s mouth, hips thrusting mindlessly in his pleasure. Zenith quickly grabbed Harry’s hips to still him before he inadvertently choked him and happily drank down the brunet’s release.

Harry flopped back against Octavius in a boneless heap, panting for breath. "Merlin, that was-"

"Delicious," Zenith interjected with a smirk, licking his lips for emphasis.

Harry blushed brilliantly at that.

"Come on, Harry. Let's get you dressed for bed," said Octavius. "It's been a long day, and you need your rest. You're still recovering after all."

"But what about you guys?" asked Harry with a frown.

Zenith grinned and stood up, gesturing to the wet spot on the front of his trousers. "I don't think you were aware of it, but your tail was a bit busy while I was sucking you off."

Harry blushed again.

"No need to worry about me, either. You were grinding that cute little backside against me the entire time," said Octavius with a smirk.

"Just watching Harry was enough to do it for me," said Tristan sheepishly.

Octavius smiled at the redhead. "He is a sexy little thing, isn't he?"

"Here, Harry. Put these on," said Zenith, handing a pair of pyjamas to the blushing brunet.

"Wicked fun indeed," muttered Harry as he pulled on the clothing. Ignoring the smug grins his three suitors flashed at him, Harry got into bed and pulled the covers over his head.

XxX

Grey walked into the library and spotted Zane at a table in a shadowy corner. Taking a deep breath, he walked toward the Incubus and sat down at the table. "I'm here, so what did you want to talk about?"

"What's going on with you? You've barely spoken to me since the engagement ball," said Zane, staring at the blond intently.

"I've had a lot on my mind," said Grey dismissively.

"Tell me the truth, Grey," snapped Zane. "What is going on?"

Grey quickly cast a privacy bubble around the table. With the spell set, he looked at Zane with a fierce scowl. "You want to know what's wrong with me, Zane. I'm pregnant, that's what's wrong."

Zane stared at Grey in shock. "P-Pregnant? How... I mean, when... I-Is it mine?"

Grey glared at the Incubus as he got to his feet. "You're a fucking arsehole, Zane. Unlike you, I don't sleep around with everything on two legs." He turned to leave, but Zane quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait, Grey. I'm sorry. I was just shocked," said Zane, pushing Grey back down into his seat. He pulled his chair over beside the blond and sat down. He looked down at Grey's stomach and swallowed hard when he saw the slightly swollen belly. "What are we going to do?"

"There is no 'we', Zane," said Grey bluntly. "You're getting married to your precious little Succubus, and I'm putting the baby up for adoption. Harry's guardian has already agreed to adopt it."

“Don’t I get any say in this?” asked Zane angrily.

“Do you really think your fiancé is going to willingly agree to help raise your bastard child, Zane?” asked Grey mockingly. “Because we both know that’s the only other option. My family would sooner kill it than raise it, especially if it turns out to be an Incubus or Succubus.” Grey sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands. “Letting Remus adopt the baby is the best decision for the baby. He even agreed to let us visit as often as we liked.”

“How did we end up like this?” asked Zane miserably. “We were best friends once.”

“Yeah, we were. And then we decided to muddy the waters by adding sex into the mix,” said Grey ruefully.

“I still love you, you know,” said Zane sincerely.

“And I love you,” said Grey. “But… I need someone who will devote themselves to me and only me, and you could never do that. Your very nature won’t allow it, and my nature will tolerate nothing less.”

Zane slowly reached out and placed his hand on Grey’s belly. “I want to be there when the baby is born, so that I can at least see it once before Remus takes him.

“I’d like that,” said Grey honestly. He leaned forward and kissed Zane on the cheek. “I’ve had a long day, so I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Zane.”

“Goodnight, Grey,” said Zane, watching the blond walk out of the library with a heavy heart. He was going to be a father to a child he would barely know throughout its life. How did his life get so complicated?

XxX

Harry left the Magi Arts classroom with a sigh. Grey had missed class, and Harry was worried about him. Over the last two and half months, the blond had become more and more withdrawn. Grey was in the last stages of his pregnancy, the time he needed the most help, and he would barely let anyone near him. Harry was the only exception to that, and even he was ignored sometimes.

Harry decided to head to the dining hall for lunch when he heard a pained growl. Frowning slightly, he cautiously followed the sound to a small alcove near the Ancient Runes classroom. He slowly approached the alcove only to freeze in shock when he saw a very pregnant tiger curled up on its side.

“G-Grey? Is that you?” Harry asked hesitantly.

The tiger whined pitifully and looked down. Harry followed its gaze and saw the tiger’s stomach harden in a contraction. “Oh, you’re in labour. We need to get you to the infirmary immediately.”

The tiger just whined again. There was no way he was going to be walking to the infirmary any time soon. He could barely breathe through the pain, much less walk down several flights of stairs.

“Don’t worry, Grey. I’ll get you there safely,” said Harry soothingly. He gently stroked his fingers across the tiger’s stomach, sending a soothing stream of healing magic to help ease the pain a bit. With the tiger somewhat calmer, Harry carefully levitated the tiger and guided him down the corridor.

Ignoring the incredulous stares and whispers, Harry got Grey to the infirmary as quickly as he could. Settling Grey on the first available bed, Harry called for Healer Carrington. The Healer stalked into the room with a scowl on his face.

“What do you brats want now? I’m trying to sleep here,” snapped the Healer irritably.

Harry, in no mood to deal with the annoying man, grabbed the Healer by the front of his shirt and dragged him down to eye level. “Listen here, Carrington, Grey is in labour, and he needs your help. I suggest that you stop whinging about your damn nap and help him before I make you take a nap you never wake from,” he growled threateningly.

Carrington stared at Harry in shock and a touch of fear. He quickly nodded, almost sighing in relief when Harry let him go, and hurried over to Grey. ‘Note to self,’ he silently thought. ‘Do not make that boy angry in the future.’

Harry left Carrington with Grey and went in search of Octavius. Luck was with him because he saw the shadow demon on the stairs with Claudius. “Octavius!”

Octavius looked up and smiled at Harry, making his way to him. However, as he neared the brunet, he saw the distressed look on Harry’s face. “Harry, what’s wrong?”

“Grey’s in labour. Can you shadow me to the cottage to pick up Remus?” asked Harry quickly.

“Yeah, no problem,” said Octavius. He looked back toward Claudius and said, “We’ve got an emergency situation, so go on ahead without us. I’ll talk to you as soon as I can.”

Claudius nodded and walked off.

“Hold on tight,” said Octavius, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist. He pulled the shadows around them, and they disappeared from the school. A few minutes later, they stepped out of the shadows and into the living room of the cottage. However, they immediately wished they hadn’t when they saw Remus and Bill shagging in front of the fireplace.

“Oh, I so did not need to see that,” cried Harry, covering his eyes and turning his back on the pair.

“Harry!” yelped Remus, pushing Bill away and grabbing his robe to cover up. “What are you doing here?”

“Grey’s in labour, so we came to get you,” mumbled Harry.

“Oh!” cried Remus. He quickly snatched up the rest of his clothes and put them on. “Let’s go then.” He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss against Bill’s lips. “I’ll be back soon.”

Octavius smirked at the werewolf and grabbed Remus’ hand, wrapping his other arm back around Harry’s waist. He pulled them all into the shadows and stepped into the infirmary a few minutes later. Harry immediately walked over to Grey’s bed and gently stroked the tiger’s head.

“How is he?” he asked Healer Carrington.

Carrington smiled tightly at the teen. “I have to cut him open to retrieve the baby. Let’s hope he doesn’t bite my arm off.”

“Good luck with that,” said Harry with a sweet smile.

Carrington scowled at Harry and took a deep breath. Running his finger across the tiger’s stomach, he cut delicately into the flesh. Fortunately, Harry kept Grey calm by sending subtle calming magic through the tiger with every stroke of his hand.

Carrington carefully reached into the opened skin and pulled out a slimy, bloody baby girl. He carefully laid the baby on the bed to clamp and cut the umbilical cord. Once that was done, he disposed of the placenta and carefully healed the incision. All that was left now was to clean, weigh, and measure the baby.

However, when he turned back toward the bed, he saw the tiger licking the baby clean. Once the tiger was done, Harry carefully lifted the infant into his arms. “She’s beautiful, Grey.”

A moment later, the tiger transformed back into a familiar blond. Harry smiled at Grey and gently placed the baby in the blond’s arms. Grey cradled the newborn girl and smiled. Harry was right. She was beautiful. Grey leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against his daughter’s forehead, breathing in her scent for the last time.

“What are you going to name her?” asked Healer Carrington, taking the baby from Grey so he could weigh and measure her. “She’s 50.8 centimetres long and weighs 2.8 kilograms.”

“Since Mr. Lupin is adopting her, I think he should be the one to name her,” said Grey softly, trying to distance himself a little. Otherwise, he didn’t think he could let his little girl go.

“Gwendolyn Grace Lupin,” said Remus firmly. As Healer Carrington filled in the birth certificate, Remus sat down on the bed beside Grey. “Are you sure this is what you really want, Grey?”

Grey nodded his head firmly. “I’m sure, Mr. Lupin. This is what’s best for Gwendolyn. She needs someone who can love and support her better than I can. I’m content with just visiting her occasionally.”

“No, you’re not, but I can see that you’ve made up your mind,” said Remus, pulling the blond into a hug. “Thank you, Grey, for allowing me to raise your daughter.”

Healer Carrington stepped up to the bed and placed the newborn in Remus’ arms. “Alright, you’re free to take her home now.”

“Wait!” said Grey, eyes widening when he realized that he’d forgotten all about Zane. “Zane hasn’t seen her yet!”

“I’ll go get him,” said Octavius, disappearing into the shadows. Five minutes later, Octavius stepped back into the infirmary with a struggling Zane.

“Let me go, damn it,” snarled Zane.

“Don’t you want to see your daughter once before Remus takes her home?” asked Grey calmly.

“Daughter?” asked Zane, staring at Grey in shock. Then he noticed the small bundle in Remus’ arms. “We have a daughter?” He walked up to Remus and held out his arms. “Can I hold her for a moment?”

“Of course,” said Remus, handing the baby to Zane.

Zane nuzzled his nose into the baby’s soft neck and breathed in deeply. He smiled slightly when he smelled the underlying scent of feline. His little girl was going to be shifter like her mother. “I love you, my sweet kitten. I’ll miss you.” Zane reluctantly handed the baby back to Remus.

“I guess I should get her home then,” said Remus hesitantly. “Octavius, do you mind taking us back?”

“Not at all,” said Octavius. He pulled Remus and Gwendolyn into the shadows, leaving a tense silence in the infirmary.

“Now that the drama is over, I’m going back to my nap,” said Carrington, heading toward his office. His steps faltered slightly when he saw the cold look Harry gave him. He really needed to learn to keep his mouth shut in front of that kid.

As soon as the healer was out of sight, Zane looked at Harry and asked, “What was that all about?”

“What are you talking about?” asked Harry curiously.

“That look you gave Healer Carrington,” said Zane. “Not to mention the way he almost ran away from you.”

Harry scowled. “It may have something to do with me threatening to make his bloody nap permanent earlier.”

Grey stared at Harry in shock. “You threatened to kill him?”

“Not exactly,” Harry hedged. “It’s just that when I brought you into the infirmary, he came out of his office grumbling about his nap being disturbed, and I kind of snapped. I told him to quit whigning about his nap and help you before I make him take a nap he never wakes from.”

Grey and Zane burst out laughing. Just the image of sweet, little Harry threatening the much larger healer was hilarious to them. Grey clapped Harry on the back. “Congratulations, Harry. You managed to terrify the healer.”

“Well, if he’d just do his job instead of sleeping all the time, it wouldn’t have come to that,” said Harry defensively.

Grey suddenly threw his arms around Harry and buried his face in the brunet’s neck. “Tell me I did the right thing, Harry,” he mumbled.

“You did what you thought was best for your daughter, and that’s all that matters,” said Harry gently, rubbing Grey’s back soothingly. “Besides, you’ll see her again, Grey. You can visit any time you like.”

Grey nodded against Harry’s neck. He just hoped he’d done the right thing, and his daughter didn’t grow to hate him for this.
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Arcane Academy