The next morning brought on the question of how Caelum had disappeared again, without a trace or scent just outside of the main entrance. He assumed flight, but without a broom and no trace of illusion charms, it was highly unlikely when there were plenty of people about the place to witness almost every move. One didn't just fly away unnoticed.

Harry thought about his father's invisibility cloak, but didn't understand why anyone looking to go after Mrs. Black, if that's what it was about at all, would have access to it. Probably only James' inner circle of friends did, and being the Minister for Magic meant it was probably under lock and key all the time.

He turned to his notes and glared at them for the thirtieth time. Sure, he couldn't solve it in the first couple hours of the day, but wouldn't it have been nice to gain some type of lead? The aurors from overnight hadn't come up with anything new, nor had anything changed on the grounds of Hogwarts besides heightened worry.

The imperius curse.

Unicorn hair wand.

Possible flight.

Invisible.

Harry had a haunting suspicion.

Thestrals roamed the grounds of Hogwarts, living in the thick of the forest where the sun wouldn't touch them. It would explain why the kidnapper waited until after the feast when they were done pulling carriages. With no wars, everyone would be a lot less likely to see them, especially children and professors as what reason would they have to witness death? If one wanted to make a quick, magicless getaway, the creatures would certainly provide with nocturnal flight of the invisible kind.

Now to think on ways one could make themselves invisible to be close enough to imperious Caelum without being seen.

Harry only knew one possibility that didn't involve traceable spells, but none of his dad's friends would simply up and abduct someone they all loved.

Another revelation, and he felt smarter than Hermione, the rush sending a smile to his face.

Peter Pettigrew, as a once-friend to James Potter would undoubtedly know about the cloak, the thestrals if he took a wild guess, and how to combine the two to escape with Caelum in arm. The only question would be why. He could blame Pettigrew all day, but his word and gut feeling probably wasn't enough to get them to run with it like it would be in his old world. He'd need proof.

First, he needed help with finding some evidence to his theory and decided to loop in everyone else.

Rushing, he was out of his office in a flurry, barely noticing his father coming in at the same time, all attention on the Minister for Magic instead of him. As it should be.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked over the crowd, attention fluttering between them both.

"A ransom note, from Peter Pettigrew."

Ask and ye shall receive his mind thought, meeting James in the middle to collect the parchment, folded in quarters and blank except for the words:

This is what happens when you are not cautious with your kind, James. The meek shall inherit the earth, and if you don't step down from Minister, I'll make sure this boy doesn't inherit a single thing. I should hope to see it in tomorrow's papers.

Wormtail

"Could he have had access to your invisibility cloak and did Pettigrew have a unicorn hair core?"

James gave him a strange look. "We all had a cloak, Harry. Don't you remember? Sev and I found a way to replicate mine sixth year. He has both those things."

Rolling right through his obvious lapse in memory, Harry gave James his theory, going into detail about the invisibility of thestrals and how untraceable it would be.

"Thestrals..." he muttered, "I never would have thought of it, clever old bugger."

Harry also had to appreciate the ingenuity that came with using one of the creatures as a getaway considering he'd done it before. This, however, was more of a morbid fascination, and they moved on quickly from it.

"We'll need to trace them somehow. I can see the beasts, though I don't know how much help that will be."

James regarded him again, completely distracted from the task at hand.

"Are you alright, Harry? You're forgetting things left and right. We can charm the owl and follow it back to Pettigrew. I've already got a team set up to do that early tomorrow before the delivery of the papers. I'll need you rested and ready to lead them, not in whatever haze has you right now."

Thoroughly chastised, Harry only nodded.

"Yes, sir."

"Right," the Minister continued, "Get with Tonks, Dornan, and O'Reilly, practice your dueling and defense spells, not that I should have to tell you, but it does feel needed with the way you're looking at me... Do I need to put someone else on this, Harry?"

He had to think quick, he needed an explanation that would distract his father from the truth of his mental state. He was sharp as ever as an auror, there was no reason to take him off the case now after he'd already done so much of the work, but he needed to keep him from inquiring further.

"Hasn't Severus told you?"

Harry felt bad for ratting out friends, but it was something truthful and would probably wipe the lapses from his mind completely.

"Told me what?"

"My office?"

James gave him a short nod, which seemed to be his temperament that day, and waved off his guards, following his son into the room alone in hopes to finally glean what was going on.

"Severus and Hermione are currently split up for the foreseeable future. She's been at mine since Friday night after dinner."

"I'll kill him."

Harry wanted to laugh, he really did, but he would need to calm his father down instead of fueling a much-deserved fire. But... that was hard when he was equally as mad.

"They really got into it, I mean, I don't think Draco and I have had a domestic like this in years," he was being superfluous, hoping it worked if only to sound knowledgeable. "He may or may not have had her vacate the house, while he escaped to the castle."

"Remus, that sneaky little mutt, does he know?" James was, to say the least, irate, and Harry felt bad for letting loose the minister of magic onto Severus, but not so bad as to tell his dad to reign it in.

"He does, I mean, with the whole Caelum thing, it would be hard for him not to have noticed-"

"And the maps, Merlin, now I'm forgetting things. He would've seen Severus there, though I doubt he remembered, he never used his- Wow, my mates have been bloody tossers this past bit, haven't they?"

Harry couldn't do much besides hum in agreement until he seemed to pull himself back in.

"Yes, so we've been discretely trying to make Hermione feel better and keep her healthy for the baby..." though he was remiss to mention it considering it might send him into another fit of anger.

"Bloody hell, Harry, you've been through it, haven't you?"

"You've no idea," he said with a fake smile. "Don't tell mum, she'll actually kill Severus, and the two of them have talked. Severus needs more time."

"What could that girl have possibly done to make him so mad as to go Hogwarts and stay there, that far away from her? Doesn't he know their bonds are going to shred them both to bits emotionally?"

Harry huffed, he should've figured this would come back on him considering he was going through the same thing.

"They know, and I've been asked not to tell."

James only raised an eyebrow, looking once again a composed minister for magic.

"He's lucky Caelum is missing or I would positively hex his arse into the lake with the squid. Tell Hermione I'm sorry, and let Draco know that as well. But as long as you're sure that's all that's going on, I need you in early. I want to brief you and the team after lunch today with explicit directions. In the mean time, like I said, work on some spellwork. Pettigrew isn't adept but he's quiet, non-verbal defense is a good start, you'll know what to do for the afternoon later."

"Yes, sir," Harry said, his heart racing just a little less from the torture that was the entire interaction.

Satisfied, James made to leave, allowing his son to have a much needed breather. He made to clean up his desk before getting with Tonks -with all the people being alive, he was in less shock than ever about her existence- and the others. However, James stopped in the doorway for a moment longer.

"And Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Have you and Draco been taking too much of this on? All you could talk about was wanting kids a couple weeks ago, and now? Your mother hasn't even heard a word. I know we've got more pressing issues, but-"

And he thought he was out of the woods.

"Merlin, dad, it really has been a weekend. I don't know how to answer that."

"Is it still what you want?"

There was a deafening silence as they stared at one-another.

"Hermione's situation... and Caelum's has us a little wary, I think. We're fine, but we need to devote our attention to her for now."

"It's just..." And here James levied his words, "With Peter demanding my resignation, I want us to be presenting a strong, cohesive, family picture in case it gets out. I know most of the time we already do, but I wouldn't be asking if I thought it wasn't feasible. You kids chose appropriately for life bonds, I can't think of better matches, and Iris didn't try to settle herself down in a play of something she didn't want. I highly doubt my position and aptitude for being Minister will be put into deep questioning, if any at all, but I need your support and understanding now more than ever regardless. What Peter wants beyond that, I couldn't tell you, so we'll have to weather all of this with strength. Am I understood?"

"Of course, dad." This, without a doubt, Harry could promise..

"Thank you. We don't bargain with people like Wormtail, and as much as I hate having to bring in an old friend, I think it's time. I want to put that rat where he belongs. And sorry for earlier... if I had known I would've been a little less harsh."

Slight resentment from his past led Harry to easily agree about the rat part.

"It's fine. I reckon I need a kick in the arse from time to time anyways."

James laughed as he left.

If he'd passed by the skin of his knee, it was due entirely to the war. Maybe, physically, he hadn't been through any of that anymore, but it had clung to his mind regardless. Now he was itching to duel, to fight for a new cause, his father's legacy.

Grabbing Tonks and the other two aurors on his team, they descended into the dueling chambers.

Harry had never personally dueled Tonks, there wouldn't have been an occasion, but the metamorphmagus was beyond talented. She asked him about Draco, her cousin, all the while managing a significant amount of magic. Her footwork left something to be desired, but she had always been a bit clumsy.

Dornan was more defense than offensive help, quick to react but unsure of how to counter.

O'Reilly had a knack for figuring it out as he went, besting Harry only once when they switched off partners, and it was because he'd cast one too many disarming spells, probably his own biggest weakness.

It had rebounded a curse and killed the Dark Lord after all.

Well, in another life.

After preliminary dueling, they practiced defense against silent spells, taking much of their time reviewing wards and useful spells to combat silent magic. It was easier to come prepared rather than to simply react to something you didn't know was coming. As a precaution, they finished their morning off with hexes and jinxes safe for someone within proximity considering their first intention was to retrieve Caelum.

Then it was time for lunch, after which they had their briefing on how James wanted the case handled, in juncture with how the DMLE head, a wizard Harry had never met before, wanted it to happen.

Harry glanced at his notes that night, already in bed before Draco had gotten prepared, wanting to be alert for his father.

He'd grilled his husband on more things about his time there, like his parents lives, the recent past, and even brushed over some future concerns as well. He refused to be caught off guard again.

Arrive to Ministry half four.

Warded robes, special case brooms, disillusionment charms.

Apparate to Lancashire, follow owl to final destination.

There was the very real chance Pettigrew wasn't even there, anticipating they would come looking for him. The other options included him being slightly less than an imbecile and not thinking the owl could be tracked, or somewhere in the middle of the two, waiting for them to come to make his move.

It was unclear if he was working with others or not, but for now they would assume he was alone with high caution elsewise.

Harry put the notepad down and extinguished the lights with his wand, wishing Hermione hadn't dragged Draco into watching a muggle film with her so he could at least have some support.

Mentioning the talk he'd had with his father hadn't been a hit, but he promised that it wouldn't be shared with Lily. Hermione was mostly concerned for Severus' well-being when James found out, even Draco finding a bit of sympathy in his heart for his god-father. Especially considering the information he shared with them.

Apparently, they'd all stopped talking to Severus for a brief time when he started to see her. It was only a week after their first date, his only supporter being Remus who first-handedly watched them conduct themselves in an appropriate manner all through school. When word got around, James, Sirius, Lily, and Lucius had all ceased contact with him. Regulus, having also chosen and married a relatively controversial match, was indifferent.

However, it didn't last long when Remus finally told them all off, even his own partner, not only removing their trust from Severus, but also from him as well in his witnessing of their development.

His head hurt when he thought about Sirius and Remus being in a relationship, as it was certainly a surprise to him.

Harry only wiped at his eyes and tried to catch some sleep instead of dwelling on the thoughts of times changed.

Up until that morning he thought he'd gotten ahold of it at least a little since the investigation for Caelum had filled him in on so many details, but as he thought only just the other night, he'd always be playing catch-up to past-him.

Actively attempting to get some sleep, Harry fluffed his pillow and slammed his eyes shut, convincing them this was what they needed. Then the door opened, and what he really did need snuck in over the threshold.

"I'm still awake."

"Blimey, Harry, you should be asleep."

"I know," was his only response before Draco climbed into bed with him, the sound of the movie persevering downstairs.

His time there, just tipping past ten days, had endeared him to this man. It was strange, but even without the magic of being in someone else's body, his new and slightly improved one, he might have just done it anyways.

"We haven't talked much about it, but I'm nervous for tomorrow. Pettigrew has been able to get to your dad a couple of times, and while he is outnumbered, I don't know what I would do if you got hurt."

"And here I was worried about Caelum... yet in all sincerity, I'm concerned as well. I feel at a disadvantage, but according to my team for tomorrow my dueling is top-notch."

Harry couldn't question why he felt the need to touch Draco anymore, the hand through his fine blond hair was natural, and Merlin did it ease his nerves.

"My cousin, Philippe, and Martenius, that's the team? I guess that's not the worst you've had, though I never feel safe enough letting you go at all, even if James himself were escorting you."

"I was considered one of the most powerful wizards where I'm from, you know? I'll be fine," he said with a kiss to his head, settling lower into the sheets as sleep finally grabbed at him.

"Tomorrow, before you go, I want to tell you-"

"Draco, I'll come back. We've made leaps and bounds together as well, magic or not, I'm comfortable with you... don't make me more nervous, please."

He felt him tense, and if something did by chance, happen to Harry, maybe he should let his husband bestow on him the sentiment. It was just that... this Draco loved the old Harry, and while they were one in the same now, it was still a stark difference in his mind. How could Draco love him when he wasn't the Harry he'd fallen in love with over his whole life?

"Say you could go back to the world of Voldemort," he tried instead, sounding hesitant, "and we all just disappeared, I didn't get my Harry back or lose him entirely, we simply stopped being. Would you go?"

Mind already full, this wasn't a question he needed.

Frankly, he missed the past less and less everyday. His parents, Remus, Sirius... they all deserved a life, unplagued and happy, but he also mourned Ginny, Teddy, and the new-found respect for life that had come from the war. He definitely didn't miss being the-boy-who-lived.

"You know what would await me there, Draco? Not my family. I can't imagine being without my parents now that I've got them, nor Remus and Sirius or Fred... and you... you're married. A beautiful and young pureblood witch who didn't follow the ideals of such a lineage. Well, I don't know if you were married yet, but I'd read some things about an engagement at least. It was only a matter of time."

"You'd be rid of me."

"I'd be heartbroken," Harry laughed, surprised at how true it was. "Merlin, I'd hate it. My family isn't the only thing keeping me here. There are trade-offs, but I don't want to leave anymore. I can't, anyways."

Draco hummed, and hopefully that answer had contented him.

"Harry, I care for you very deeply."

Chuckling, he kissed Draco's head again.

"I'll sleep better knowing that."

"Take extra care tomorrow, please."

"I will."

And with that out of the way, lightening Harry's mood enough to allow him some sleep, he put on a serious face for the next day and pulled Draco just a little bit closer.

A/N

I know it's been a while, so I hope you enjoyed these few chapters and this specific extra-long one. And don't worry, I won't let Caelum be missing for much longer ;)