Chapter One: Trouble
"I'm sorry. I couldn't be the one you wanted me to" Harry whispered holding Ginny's hand.
She was out of words and close to tears "How long, Harry? Just tell me how long?"
"What?" Harry asked even though he knew what she meant. He had escaped this question for so long
"When did you fall out of love?" She asked and he bit his lower lip, he didn't want to give her the answer. He didn't want her to know he tried to fall back in love with her but had failed.
"About a year or so" he answered and she just looked away, let go of his hand and stared at the Burrow.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" She looked more disappointed than sad.
"I still care about you, Ginny. I didn't want to hurt you"
"It doesn't matter anyway, Harry" she waved her hand and then glanced at the old newspaper he was clutching.
"How long will you be gone?" She asked. Harry just shrugged
"Goodbye, then" she said as the portkey turned blue.
"Ginny, I'm truly..." His apologies were drowned as he started spinning. He landed on the street and someone jumped out of his way.
He waved his hand away at a man who was staring at him and walked down the brightly lit streets. He glanced at his watch but he didn't know the time in America
He walked up the stairs of the apartment he is supposed to stay in and stopped at 117. Turning the lock, he entered and was immediately hit with dust.
He spent ten minutes cleaning the dusty house. Taking out a suitcase, the size of a toffee, Harry enlarged it and changed into a fresh pair of clothes.
He sighed at the state of his room and decided to go to the bar he had seen while entering the apartment.
It was a grubby looking bar and quite deserted. A girl was behind a muggle newspaper. He took an empty seat a few feet away from her and glanced at the two old men deep in discussion.
"What can I get you?" The waitress asked with a smile and his heart skipped a beat, she was beautiful.
"Uh I'll take a drink" Harry replied lamely and she laughed. "I'll get you a special then"
He felt his wand sticking out of his pocket and he pushed it. He took out the muggle money.
The waitress came back with his drink and leaned against the table seductively.
"So what are you doing tonight, love?" she asked and Harry chugged his drink, even after years,he couldn't handle women. Before he could form an answer, someone banged their fist on the table.
Harry looked up and realized she was the girl behind the newspaper. She looked around 20 and was wearing a plain white shirt and jeans
"He's actually taken, love"
Harry blinked, was he dreaming all this? He felt sure he had a concussion from the portkey or this drink was making him see things.
"Do you know her?" The waitress asked curiously and Harry glanced at the girl who was looking at him meaningfully. She drew something in the air but Harry didn't understand what she meant.
Exasperated, she sat on his lap
"We just had a fight, we're okay now, aren't we baby?" The girl said leaning towards him. Pressing her cheeks against his "She's a salemer, you idiot. Get out of here" she whispered in his ear.
The waitress was still standing there.
Harry remembered Hermione talking something about it, he wished he had listened to her.
"I'll pay for the drink, thanks" Harry said, knowing whatever Salemer was, it was important. The waitress glared at them and she didn't look beautiful anymore, she looked like she was ready to kill.
Harry's hand involuntarily reached for his wand. "Don't" the girl whispered, touching his hand lightly to prevent him from taking out his wand.
"Let's go baby" The girl pulled him outside the bar, Harry glanced back to see the waitress was gone.
"What the hell was that?!" Harry asked when they were out of the bar.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT? Who tries to take a wand out in a muggle bar!!??!"
Harry didn't respond. Several seconds later he murmured "Instinct"
"You're English" she said curiously.
"So what? What's a salemer?"
"Your wand could be seen, you were a target" the girl replied.
"So you're a witch and that's a lot of information you gave me, baby" he said sarcastically stressing the last word.
"I'm Scarlet, Scarlet Winters" she said
"I'm just Harry" he replied hotly.
"Harry, Salemers are a group of bitter squibs, no-maj's and ardent fans of Voldemort and some of Grindelwald who want to expose our community to the Wizarding World"
It was two years since the war and yet his name was being said. Harry left his career and his of life just because he didn't want to be recognized as The Harry Potter and here he was.
Harry was glad that he knew who no-maj's were. Hermione made sure he knew enough about this place and he was glad he listened.
"Voldemort is dead and his supporters are either in Azkaban or leading new lives" Harry replied instead.
"You were present during the war?" She asked curiously and he got uncomfortable
"Yeah I fought in it"
"I'm sorry. It must have been traumatizing for you" she said and Harry stared at the building in front of him
"I stay there, if you want to come over" Harry invited.
Scarlet groaned "Don't tell me you're 117!"
When Harry shrugged she sighed "I'm 118 and I'll tell you the disturbing past of your apartment someday" He saw sadness pass through her face.
They crossed the road in silence and climbed up the stairs.
"Good night" Scarlet said.
Harry's legs jerked beneath him and the keys slipped from his fingers.
Her words sounded so far. He gripped the doorknob and handled himself.
Everything was blurry and his ears were ringing.
He could feel himself being levitated.
"Not Harry! Please...have mercy...have mercy..."
His mother dying, he hadn't heard her voice in years, he wanted to cry, scream.
He could feel her hand on his chin and something pushed against his mouth.
"You'll feel better in a minute" she whispered pouring something down his throat. He stared at the ceiling, the ringing stopped and a sob escaped his mouth.
"It must have been that salemer, she must have put something in your drink. She must have done the same with..." She looked around the room as if taking in the whole thing "the other kidnapped wizards"
Harry felt emotionally weak and didn't take in a word she said. He stared at her eyes, wrinkled in concern, they were black. He wanted to drown in them and never come back to the real world.
"Darn you're cute!" She said suddenly and laughed "Did I say it out loud"
Harry laughed "Pretty much"
She looked around for a while before meeting his eyes.
She smiled and leaned forward to wipe the potion off his chin. He held the back of her head and pulled her close.
They kissed and she tasted like beer.
Wrapping his arms around her, he flipped her, his instinct took over.
She was intense and hot and he felt alive, he wanted this night to never end.
Harry woke up to the sound of traffic. His head was aching. He turned to his side, the bed was empty.
He got up and got dressed hoping she'll pop up suddenly.
Was it a dream? The whole night was blurry in his mind.
He shook his head, making sure he had Shacklebolt's recommendation for his job at MACUSA, he opened the door.
Out of curiosity he knocked on 118 and waited. He hoped Scarlet would open the door. He also hoped MACUSA wouldn't hire him just because he's Harry Potter.
"Oh" the voice said and Scarlet had opened the door. She looked down the stairs and Harry followed her glance
"Hoping you're ex won't come?" He joked but she didn't laugh
She eyed his work robe
"Planning to strip it down like last night?" He joked and she cracked a smile
"We had grief sex, that was it"
"We?" Harry asked curiously.
"Don't let Archie know we had sex. He doesn't appreciate it between neighbors. He's the Magical Ethics professor at Ilvermorny. Old school. He is our downstairs neighbor"
"So you want me to pretend you didn't say 'we'?" Harry said not going off track.
"So you're going to pretend you don't have a surname, just Harry?" She asked and Harry ran his fingers through his hair
"I'll catch you later, I'm late to work" she checked her watch.
"Goodbye" Harry said as she disapparated.
"Wow, you have no idea how to ask a person out" he told himself
A/N: Hey yall. Don't forget to leave reviews. Send love 3