Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/12925851.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Rape/Non-Con, Underage
  Category:
      F/M, M/M
  Fandom:
      Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling
  Relationship:
      James_Potter/Lily_Evans_Potter, Sirius_Black/Remus_Lupin, Harry_Potter/
      Voldemort
  Character:
      Harry_Potter, Morfin_Gaunt, Marvolo_Gaunt, Merope_Gaunt, Tom_Riddle, Lily
      Evans_Potter, James_Potter, Sirius_Black, Remus_Lupin, Albus_Dumbledore
  Additional Tags:
      Alternate_Universe_-_Royalty, Royalty, Royal_Gaunts, King_Marvolo, Prince
      Tom, Eventual_Romance, Tragic_Romance, Implied/Referenced_Rape/Non-con,
      Past_Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced_Suicide, Suicide, Triggers, I'm_Bad
      At_Summaries, I_Don't_Even_Know, I
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-12-05 Chapters: 1/? Words: 1515
****** Dreams Of A Nightingale ******
by Earth_Phoenix
Summary
     AU. The Gaunt family are a ruthless Royal family, intent of taking
     over the neighboring Kingdoms.
     The Potter's just want a better future of their children.
Thunder roared as the rain came down in thick sheets, hammering on the castle’s
draughty windows. Marvolo winced, he hoped the stained glass would not break,
this was the worst storm he had seen in a very long time. Bad storms were not a
good omen when you were awaiting the birth of a child. A scream ripped through
the air, followed swiftly by another. He continued to pace outside the bedroom
of his daughter, hands clasped behind his back. It was times like this he was
glad that men did not have to carry the burden of bringing a child into the
world.
Another scream and still the door remained firmly closed. His daughter, Merope,
had been in labour for a while now. Longer than his wife had been with Merope,
or his son, Morfin. He feared something was going, very, very wrong. He did not
want to lose his daughter. He did not want to lose the child she was bringing
into the world. He had been assured the child would be a boy by a local trusted
Seer, and if that were true -. Marvolo sighed, feeling every bit his age. He
was an old man, now. He needed this child to be a male heir, a granddaughter
would be of no use at all.
                                      ~*~
The rain came down harder still as the night wore on. Lightning flashed across
the sky. Morfin sat, slouched in a chair he had carved into a throne. If his
sister had a son, he'd have to kill the little brat. He would not have his
birth right taken from him, from some whore’s son! His father was a joke – a
once ruthless King, the man had whipped up an army and marched into this
Kingdom, the Kingdom of the Badger in his youth, declaring himself the rightful
king. Marvolo had slaughtered entire villages; men, women and children had died
in his father's desire to rule more than one Kingdom and now? Now the old man
negotiated. The Lion Kingdom should have been theirs by now! Who would stop
them? They were rulers of the Snake Kingdom, all that stood against them fell
If his father could no longer stomach killing, then he should step aside and
let someone who could rule.
The last Royal family had been killed without mercy, Marvolo had murdered them
all, save the prettiest of the old King's daughter, whom he had forced into
marriage and raped to acquire his children. Morfin had found his mother hanging
from a rope, in his parent's bedroom when he was a small boy. She had taken her
own life, rather than live and continue to play the happy wife of a killer.
Morfin glared darkly, he had heard the rumours of what his father had done to
those loyal to the old King. Of the babies, he had impaled on spikes, of the
slaughter and rape of innocent women and his father had the nerve to wonder why
his son was so screwed up?
It was no secret that Marvolo did not want Morfin to take the throne when he
died, fearful that his son would screw up. That Morfin could not handle the
pressure of ruling two kingdoms. That Morfin would lose the Kingdom of the
Badgers. Morfin sneered, his army was strong, he could defend the Kingdoms. His
father was a fool, gambling his throne on a brat from his sister.
As Morfin stood and began to pace his rooms, the church bells began to ring. He
paused, listening intently. The people who had been waiting for news started to
cheer. So, Merope had had a son. Too bad for her. It would be her first and
last son.
                                      ~*~
Merope held her infant son tightly. He was healthy, at last. At last. She
stared down at his innocent pink face, screwed up from crying and wanted to cry
herself. He was perfect. She couldn't ask for more.
She glanced up when her father walked in and smiled, “Would you like to meet
Thomas?” she asked, looking back down at the babe in her arms.
“Hullo,” said Marvolo, smiling down at the small child in his daughter's arms.
“I thought for a moment you weren't going to make it,” he added, looking at his
daughter closely. Merope looked exhausted but was smiling from ear to ear. The
happiest smile he had ever seen on her face. Happier than the day he had given
her, her first pony.
“Just a long labour,” Merope shrugged, tired.
“I'm sending you two home,” Marvolo informed his daughter, in a tone that
brokered no arguments. “I need to know you're both safe and Morfin will know
soon enough that you have a son,” Marvolo sighed, “The bells are already
starting to ring.”
There was a tense pause between father and daughter. Both knew Morfin would
hate a challenger to the throne and would stoop to killing his own nephew if he
had too. Their stand-off ended when Thomas cried, his small face screwed up,
demanding his mother's attention. Merope turned back to her son, running a
soothing hand over his head, calming him with a gentle touch.
“For his sake,” she said softly, her soft brown eyes, locked on her child's.
                                      ~*~
The birth of a peasant child was always celebrated. Maybe not the extent that
the Royals celebrated births, but they were celebrated all the same. Lily
Potter could only laugh as her husband made more and more exuberant toasts in
the local tavern. To her, to Harry, to anyone he clapped eyes on. James wasn't
drunk, but he was sure well on his way to be wasted. Lily smiled tiredly, as
Harry nursed from her. Times had been tough recently, for everyone. War was
threatening to break out in the Kingdom of the Lions. Marvolo the evil Snake
King was trying his damnedest to take over theirs.
James walked over to his wife and picked up his son, Harry yawned in his arms,
turning his big green eyes on his dad. “Hey bud,” James looked excitedly up at
Lily “We made him,” Harry was a week old and it still took James' breath away
that he and Lily and made such a perfect little thing like Harry.
“I know, it's truly a miracle.” Lily smiled up her husband.  
The tavern doors bust open and Sirius Black stomped through them. The noise of
the rain increased with the door open and Sirius slammed it shut. He was
dripping wet, his normally well-groomed black locks coated with rain and
dripping down his back. James waved enthusiastically, still holding a sleeping
Harry in his arms. The baby opened one eye and gave a warning whimper. James
stooped waving straight away. Sirius shook his head at his friend, amused and
stomped over to them. The man was wrapped up in now rain drenched light fur and
sweating profusely. He sat down heavily and shrugged out of them.
“How's the hunt been?” Lily asked. Sirius gave her a dark look.
“We keep getting hunters from the Snake Kingdom entering our forest because
they are supposedly gathering enough food for Prince Thomas’ naming ceremony.”
Sirius scoffed “Codswallop of course, they're scouting our lands, trying to
find the Kingdoms weak points. We're spending more time chasing the shits out
than actually hunting.” James placed a large tankard of Ale in front of his
best friend.
“The sooner we're ordered the kill them the better,” James agreed darkly. James
was a Knight in the King's Army and was frustrated that his King had repeatedly
kept them from fighting the Snakes. Pleading patience and tolerance.
“If they interrupted one of the King's hunting trips, maybe you'd get your
chance to fight.” Lily suggested, taking Harry gently back from his father.
“Not even the Snakes are dumb enough to do that.” James sighed “Besides, they
can’t risk anything that could be seen as a hostile action right now. Their new
heir isn’t that much older than Harry.”
“Our only hope is they stay toeing the line and the new heir doesn’t grew up to
become Marvolo 2.0.” Sirius drained his ale. No one needed another Marvolo at
his peak evilness.
“If the rumours about the new heir not even being in the country are true,
maybe we have a chance.” James stroked his son’s face. He could hope things
would work out and that his son’s future was better than the current present.
There was thoughtful silence at the table. Ever since the Prince was born a few
months ago, rumours had filtered through then Kingdoms, suggesting that the
Prince had been taken into hiding.
“At any rate, at least we know Prince Morfin will never be King.” The small
group breathed a joint sigh of relief. Morfin was insane. A bad evil king was
better than an insane one.
“Thank goodness for small mercies.” Lily gently kissed her son of the forehead.
Lily and Merope may not have a lot in common, but they shared one thing in
common – they would do anything for their sons.
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!