Chapter 17

A boy stood at his bedroom window, his dark hair still messy from sleep. He wore pyjamas that were far too small for him, decorated with tiny little snitches and broomsticks. The boy was young, maybe six years old, but his eyes looked older, much, much older. They were a clear emerald, and were clouded with sorrow as he watched the scene outside.

Another boy, and identical copy of the boy at the window was laughing with an older man, presumably their father. The man was tall, and had the same messy black hair as the twins, however his eyes were a warm hazel rather than green. Otherwise the two twins could have been a clone of their father, having his bone structure and sharp features.

The boy outside was riding a small broomstick, laughing as his father chased him round the field. After a while his father disappeared for a little while. While he was gone, the six year old on the broomstick sat on the ground, looking around. He caught sight of his twin by the window and a frown flittered across his face. For a moment, the two twins had the exact same look in their eyes; a dull pain brought on by recognition. The boy in the field said one word. A name. Of course, his twin could hear it, being too far away and shielded behind a glass wall, but he could guess which name it was. His name. Harry.

Harry whirled around as his bedroom door opened. A red-haired woman with emerald eyes and a warm motherly expression stood behind it. Her eyes darkened with annoyance as she caught sight of the boy's bedroom. Small, childish painting were drawn onto the walls near the floor. Of course, in her annoyance that they were there in the first place she failed to notice that they moved. She brought out a willow wand and waved it. The pictures vanished, much to Harry's dismay.

But the boy didn't say a word, he just stared at his mother with large, sad eyes and let a lonely tear trickle down his face. He mouthed a word, unwilling to utter it out loud but still desperate to say it.

'Mother.' Such a simple word that to a child meant so many things. It meant love and security and help. It was a person that meant the world to a child, if only they were there to earn that title.

Lily Potter was a distant figure to little Harry. He craved her attention and wanted her to notice him so much and yet she only seemed to have eyes for the achievement of his brother. Lily beckoned her youngest son impatiently.

"Well, Harry? Are you coming to breakfast or not? I called for you ten minutes ago. Come on!" Lily snapped, obviously tired and distracted by something. Whatever it was, Harry didn't want to find out. He walked silently over to her and followed Lily down to the dining hall.

Harry sat down silently in his reserved seat, opposite where his brother would sit. It didn't fail to escape his notice that neither his father nor his brother were at the table either. But if he got upset for every time that this happened to him, Harry would have frown lines before he was ten. But he was used to it by now, and just sat there waiting for the rest of his family to come back.

After a while a slight change overcame little Harry. His straight posture seemed to suddenly slump, and yawned as if he was very tired. If you looked closely enough you could see his eyes were a slightly different shade of green – more of a sea-green than emerald now. Somehow, despite his tired and relaxed posture, he also looked almost as if he was more on edge, ready to get up a flee should he need too.

Just then Harry's father and brother walked in, laughing.

"You should see Charles fly, Lily-Flower." Harry's father James crowed. "He's a natural!"

Charles sat down opposite Harry. "Hey Percy."

Harry – or 'Percy' now – beamed at his brother. "Hey Charles. We watched you today, you were really good!"

"So that's what you were doing." Lily said, giving Harry a disapproving look. "Next time you could actually come when I call and give me a hand round here! And don't slouch at the table! Dear Merlin, you think we'd raised you in a barn…"

Percy looked down at his plate and didn't say a word. Of course, this just riled up Lily and his father even more.

"Harry, reply to your mother when she's talking too you!"

Percy gave Charles a pleading look. Charles nodded, and frowned at their parents. "He's Percy, not Harry. Can't you tell the difference?"

"No, enough!" Lily shouted, running a hand through her hair in exasperation. "I can't deal with this anymore! You are Harry. Just Harry, and nobody else. For Merlin's sake, boy, grow up!"

Percy and Charles looked at their mother in dismay and hurt. Charles even looked furious at the way they were yelling at his brother. He opened his mouth to say something but Percy shook his head. He still didn't utter a word, he just stood up from the table and walked calmly out of the room, leaving his plate untouched. It was only when he reached the door that Percy turned around to look at his shocked parents.

"We're sorry that we can't be who you want us to be, Lily."

Those words where the first that either Harry or Percy had spoken to their parents in months. Usually they just spoke to their brother, the one person in the house who could still understand him. Lily and James used to too at one point. They could accept that they were two people and still their son. But, as they grew up, their parent's got more and more frustrated with them, claiming that Percy didn't exist.

Percy left the room, leaving his parents to stare after them in shock. Sometimes there was just no point in arguing back. Harry and Percy had long since accepted that not everybody could see the world in the way that they did, and decided that sometime the best course of action was just to walk away, happy knowing that they were right even if other's couldn't see that.

Despite not eating breakfast, the small six year old boys decided that they just weren't hungry, and headed outside, towards the woods that lay at the far end of the field that Charles and James often flew in.

From the outside the woods looked dark and ominous, leering down at the little six year old as they approached the treeline. Finger-like twigs reached towards them, pulling the boy through the prickly border and into the familiar woods beyond.

Light filtered through the green leafy canopy above, washing the forest in a warm light. Wood nymphs immediately gathered round them as they walked down the invisible path to their little private clearing. Along the way little glowing fairies floated by, and mushroom shook as they sang their welcome. Centaurs trotted past, regarding Harry and Percy as one of the Forest, not a Wizard and the spawn of everything wizards' had done to them. Satyrs hung back in the shadows, watching them and making sure they were safe.

When Percy reached the clearing he drew to an abrupt stop at the sight of five men, sitting around in the clearing. They had rough beards and tatty long hair, as if they hadn't shaved or properly showered in a long time. Their clothes were thread bare and patched up in so many places that they were practically made up of patches of different materials. Their fingernails were muddy and hooked like claws, much like their toenails on their shoe-less feet. Sharp fangs peeked out from under their lips as they chatted with one another.

As Harry and Percy's smell reached them the men turned around to face them, cautiously sniffing the air. They blinked in surprise at the sight of the young boy dressed in his pyjamas, surrounded by woodland creatures. From the river that ran by the edge of the clearing three naiads emerged, watching the scene and casting warning glares at the men.

"Who are you?" Percy asked curiously. "And what are you doing on the Potter estate?"

"See Liekos?" One of the men snapped. "I told you it was private land."

Another man grunted. He was the tallest of the lot, with a lot of bulky muscle and an almost overbearing aura of authority. "We're werewolves. We're here because of the full moon last night. Since we don't have territory to call our own, we tend to travel around a lot. I apologise for our trespassing onto Potter Land last night."

"Oh, that's fine." Percy waved off Liekos' excuse cheerfully much to the werewolves' surprise. "Our Uncle Moony is a werewolf too. Our fa-"

Percy cut off, and looked down at his feet. When he looked up, his eyes had shifted colour again, returning to the emerald that they had been when they woke up.

"James and Uncle Padfoot use their animagus forms to make his 'furry little problem' seem less stressful and to keep him company. I'm sure James will understand if you wish to stay here for a few more days to rebuild your strength. Either way, I won't tell him you were here if you prefer." Harry continued from Percy, ignoring the strange looks he was receiving from the werewolves.

"You and your father don't get along an awful much, is that is?" The first werewolf to speak asked, his voice low and comforting.

"No." Harry shook his head. "It's not that. It's just that… well, when your brother is Charles Potter it's impossible to even appear semi-perfect in your parents' eyes, no matter how hard you might try."

"Charles Potter has a brother?" It was the shortest of the wolves that spoke next, tilting his head. Harry smiled at the movement before a sad look replaced it.

"Oh I'm not just his brother." Harry said in a quiet voice. "I'm his twin."

Before the werewolves could ask any more questions the Naiads intervened, stepping between them. "Enough questions. I believe our young lords are required back at the house by now. Your brother is considering coming in after you."

The last part of their warning was directed at Harry and Percy, who nodded absent-mindedly. "Indeed, I can imagine him doing that. Somehow, however, I can't see the centaurs being too happy with him entering the woods… Good day, sirs. I hope we meet again sometime."

"Wait!" Liekos called as they turned to leave. Harry looked back over his shoulder, raising one eyebrow questioningly. "May we have you name? And why do they call you young lords?"

"We are Harry and Percy Potter. As for why they call us young lords… you know, we've never actually asked. We always assumed it was something with James being Lord Potter." Harry explained, an unconcerned smile on his lips. "Don't question so much. Everything makes so much more sense if you just accept the most obvious reason to be the right one."

With that wise word of advice Harry began the slow trek back through the forest. He dawdled a little, not wanting to leave the cool shade of the trees and the delightful company of the nymphs and faeries.

Sure enough, Charles trying to fight his way through the thick forest of thick twigs and branches to get into the woods when Harry reached the edge of the trees. The same wooden fingers that had drawn him into the woods were now clinging to his clothes in an attempt to keep Harry and Percy inside the magical woodland.

"Charles!"

Sea-green fought with emerald as Percy addressed their brother. Eventually their eye colour settled on something in between as they shared control. They ran forward and embraced their brother, hugging him tightly. Charles laughed and hugged him back.

"Oh Harry and Percy! Are you ok? You've been gone for hours, and you missed lunch. Mum's worried about you and Dad's really angry!" Charles told them with a warm concerned glint in his eyes.

Harry and Percy sighed. "James is always mad at us."

"Why don't you call him Dad, or at least Father?" Charles asked, upset.

Percy tilted their head to one side. "They don't see us as their son, not all of us. How can they be our parents if they can't accept us for who we are?"

"Harry James Potter!" James' loud angry voice boomed at them as the tall man strode towards the brother's with a quick pace. "You are in big trouble young man. I've told you before not to go into the forest, especially not alone. And what do you do? You go off into it for hours alone. You are grounded for a month!"

Fury filled Harry and Percy. It just wasn't fair! Charles was allowed to do whatever he wanted to and if he needed company than both Lily and James would be more than willing to go with him. So why were all the rules different for them? Life was just so unfair!

They opened their mouth to voice some of their mutinous thoughts but James interrupted them before they could. He grabbed their upper arm hard, too hard. Harry could tell that it was going to bruise, and it would all be James' fault. But there was still a level of shock. Their parents might shout at them, but they'd never physically hurt them. Not like this.

Still trying to come to terms with what was happening Harry and Percy allowed their father to drag them to their room without a fuss. They were all but flung into the room.

"You are going to stay here for the rest of the month, understand? You may leave to visit the bathroom, and to join us for mealtimes but otherwise you're not allowed to leaving this room. If you want a book, send for a house elf to get it. And you won't be seeing Charles during that time, either. Your mother and I don't want you to rub your bad habits off onto him." James snapped. Almost immediately he realised that perhaps he had been a little too harsh and a flicker of guilt stirred in his hazel eyes. But Harry and Percy didn't see the guilt. There were to overcome with hurt that their father would do this. Did he not want them or anything?

James left, locking the room, and leaving Harry and Percy alone with their tortured thoughts. Each thought built up more and more worries. Maybe James didn't want them to be part of his perfect little family. Maybe they'd be better if they'd just forget him. Maybe Charles really would turn out to be a better boy if he didn't remember them. Maybe… Maybe…

Finally all their worries exploded in one massive wave of accidental magic, locking away all memories of Harry and Percy in their parents and brother until the time was right and they could accept Harry and Percy for who they truly were…

Percy's Point of View

I woke up in tears, our entire body shaking with sobs. The memory of that day was fresh in my mind. Harry was still asleep in the depths of his own sweet dreams. He didn't remember that day. He didn't remember that terrible mistake that we made. That one tiny slip that ruined years and years of our life. It had been blocked away in our memory, just like we had been locked away in the memories of the rest of our family. But recently… recently it was just another nightmare among the many of that evil voice and the hordes of monsters that plagued our mind.

A light touch to our shoulder shocked me, and I instinctively curled into a tight ball. I heard a soft sigh.

"Percy. I know that it's you awake. It always is isn't it? That's why you aren't such a morning person." Draco whispered to me through the darkness. Another sob wracked our body.

"Yeah, it's me." I whispered back in a shaky voice. "Do you ever feel… do you ever feel that if you could keep the nightmares at bay that you could finally dream of something nice? Of something sweet and untroublesome?"

"I… I don't get nightmares." Draco admitted in a low voice. I let out a shaky laugh. Huh. I sounded a little mad.

"You're lucky." I snorted. "But I have to try. If I can put up with the nightmares, then Harry won't have too. He can just go on dreaming of the good things, dreaming of things that he then shares with me in the morning, chasing away the demons within. See? I can keep him happy and sane, then he can help me too, when I feel most down in the morning."

I could almost hear Draco smile, despite the fact it was too dark to see past our nose. The bed dipped as he sat on it and lay down next to us. I felt his warm arms embrace us in a soft hug, much like Charles used to before we made him forget… before we blocked his memories of us.

"Percy… Harry wouldn't want that. I'm sure if he knew he'd be grateful for what you're doing, but he'd also want you to sleep well. You're no use to him sleep deprived and too exhausted to think. Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" He offered in a soft voice. I smiled. Draco was always so kind to us. He was a good big brother. It's a pity he was an only child.

Shaking our head to clear my random thoughts away I sighed. "Not now. It's still too fresh, too deep. It was more of a memory anyway."

I could feel sleep beginning to tug at the corners of my consciousness as I basked in the warmth of Draco's comforting embrace.

"What was the memory about?" I could only vaguely hear Draco, and for some reason I felt compelled to give him an answer.

"Oh nothing much really. It was the one and only time Harry and I really slipped up with our control over our magic." I yawned, falling deeper into the abyss of sleep. "It made our family what it is today."

The sweet warm darkness took me before I could slur out anymore words and spill anymore information that I'd really prefer to keep a secret. Before I could admit exactly what our slip up did to our best friend and brother.