Title: Curiouser and Curiouser

Summary: Harry Potter has a problem. See, sometimes his curiosity gets him into situations that common sense would tell most others to stay away from. So when he sees two brothers acting suspiciously his curiosity grabs hold and won't let him go until he gets to the bottom of this mystery. The fact that the younger brother, Sammy, happens to be six and a half feet of one hot body, might have something to do with that. Too bad though, wizards and hunters generally don't mix that well…

Warnings: Cursing, Slightly Unhinged Harry, mentions of Slash, Violence upon Demons.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Supernatural. It is a sad fact and one that no amount of begging or threatening has yet to rectify. I will not give up hope, though.

Authors Note: Well, shit. This took longer than I expected. Three tries, and two half saved somethings-that-might-one-day-be-stories and this is where we end up. I only hope it turned out half as well as I thought it did. Anyway, this is the prize for Kirallie who made up a challenge upon reaching my review count for my story 'A Break in the Pattern'. Hope you like it! I decided to try something new thing time, going from first person perspective and seeing how that turns out. Anyway, I'm at work on the next chapter of 'A Break in the Pattern', so look for it soonish, hopefully. Also the poll has finally been closed and the results are posted, Thank you. Read and review please!

I'm not really sure how it happened, what brought about the sudden certainty in my actions. Or maybe I was just so insanely bored by the lack of action in my life that I had to hook onto the next best thing. Either way, it is still hard to believe that something that once seemed to me to be so simple turned out to be something that would change my life forever. Looking back, sometimes I'm not even sure if it really happened or if it was all just an extravagant daydream. So real, so bright that I could reach out and touch it. Literally.

It was a Monday when it first happened, not late but not early. It was still daylight outside. Not that that is saying much seeing as it was late May. Daylight lasts longer in the summer. But I'm getting off track. It was Monday and I had been in the United States for a couple of months and things had been going well, if not a little bit slowly. But that was alright, I needed a break from the hectic life I had just left. And it was nice, for a while. No one knew where I was, no one I met knew who I was or what I had done.

What had been done to me.

All for the Greater Good, of course.

I was sitting in a corner booth in a little diner in a little no name town sipping on a strong cup of coffee when they walked in. I could tell automatically that they weren't the normal sort to just visit, not regulars and not tourists. They had a look about them like they were just waiting for the shit to hit the fan again. It is a heavy but not really physically noticeable look, not a look that you can see unless you have seen it before. But it is a look I'm well versed in. I see it reflected back at me in every mirror I pass.

They were brothers; it was obvious in how they moved. Aware of each other as only those who have spent years together can achieve. I've only seen that in family and lovers, and they didn't feel like they were in a 'relationship'. The tall shaggy one looked like as though he thought the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. The shorter one, he carries a different weight, but one just as heavy. His brother. His job is to protect his brother.

Even at the cost of his own life.

He must be the older one, then. You rarely see that kind of dedication in the younger siblings. He is his brother's keeper. I can almost see the Greater Good at work here. It leaves a horrible taste at the back of my throat. Makes me want to scream at the world for what it does to people, for how it twists and warps things that should be left alone. But what good will it do? None, so I take another sip of coffee hoping the bitter liquid will take the acrid taste out of my mouth.

The two sit down nearby with the older facing the door and back to the wall. Prepared for the worst, keeping an eye on all the escape routes. The same thing I do. Not many people react the same way I do. Murders, conmen, those that expect others to be after them. But these two, they don't fit that bill. But then again, neither do I. Soldiers, that was closer. Things have just gotten interesting. Wonder how long these two will stick around. Probably just passing through. What a shame. The tall one was kinda cute, too. In a shaggy kind of way.

Melissa the waitress comes over and takes their order but I can't hear what they say. If I wanted to I'm sure I could have, but really, what was the point in getting interested in a couple of travelers that wouldn't be around long enough to quench my curiosity. It seemed that I really needed something to do if I was getting worked up over a couple of guys with a shady history that, in a way, reminded me of my own.

Pie. That was what the elder ordered. The younger ordered a salad. Definite differences there. Me I was more a pie person than a salad person, but I'm picky. Too many years of living on bread and water made me crave sugar like an addict. Then again, the younger man did look to be in a lot better shape than the older did. Hmm, must have been the rabbit food. Still, not enough of a reason to eat it myself.

A coffee refill later and they were still sitting there, talking, their food long gone. The younger was typing away at his laptop, muttering under his breath every now and then. He had the focused look of one on a mission and I felt my curiosity peak even more. If only I had the time to dedicate to solving their riddle. If only they would stay long enough for me to study them, figure them out, pick out all of the things they were trying to hide. It was a puzzle, and I did love puzzles. If only, if only.

I turned away in the hopes that not looking at them would lead to my curiosity giving up. Unlikely, but it was a childish impulse and I did not indulge in those very often. However, a pulse on the corner of my senses caused me to turn and look at them at the same moment that a man in a trench coat appeared next to the older brother with the sound of fluttering wings. The older jumped at the action and cursed. I could hear it across the way and my eyes widened. That was strange. I knew strange, had spent thirteen years in a world of unexplainable things. Never once, though, had I seen that.

I looked over at the younger to judge his reaction and met hazel eyes. Caught.

I had never been caught like that before. It was like he knew that I knew that they were hiding things. He knew that I saw the stranger appear in a way that no normal man could. And now, now things were passing the interesting territory and heading into full blown conspiracy theory. I did love those, gave my mind something to mull over while I drank my coffee. But that is all besides the point. I was caught, and there was nothing I could do about it. He must be pretty good, to catch me out like that.

Sexy and smart, a killer combo if even there was one.

And just like that they were up and leaving, the one in the trench coat following along like a little lost puppy. I threw down a twenty and followed them outside intent on getting some answers. But, alas, it was not meant to be. Before the bell attached to the door had even finished its chime the black car they owned was pulling away. I saw a shaggy head of hair in the passenger side seat of the car before they got too far away so I knew it had to be them.

In a brief moment of childish selfishness I flicked my wrist up and, in a pulse of power, threw a tracker and stuck it to the back of their car. Satisfied I put my hand down as they rounded a corner and disappeared from my sight. Now I would be able to find them again, if I wanted too, and satisfy the burning curiosity that scratched at my brain like the claws of some great cat.

Humming in accomplishment, I turned around and started walking off to my motel. If, and it was a big if, they were going to stay in town there were only two motels to choose from. There was a fifty percent chance I would see them again without having to resort to manually tracking them down. Either, way, it was a win-win for me.

This mystery would be solved, my curiosity would be sated, or my name wasn't Harry James Potter.

Sure enough I saw them again. Not the next day, or even the next week but rather sometime a little bit later. And it was another Monday. I had moved on to a new small town, a new diner, and a new cup of coffee. This time they were there first and the man in the trench coat wasn't with them. I forewent my usual way of sitting back to the wall and took the booth directly behind them, not like anyone was going to try to sneak up on me anyway. And this choice made it all the easier to eavesdrop.

And man did they have a lot to say.

"There have been signs of footprints that start and then disappear into thin air. The murder weapon hasn't been found yet, but both cases seem to happen the same way. Other than that, there doesn't seem to be much linking the two together. They hadn't met each other before, and they didn't operate in the same circles. Hell, one is a mailman and the other works at a law firm. And no, the mailman doesn't deliver to him." A deep voice said, coming from right behind me. Had to be the younger, it was a lot closer. I felt myself smirk into my coffee. His voice matched his body.

"But are you sure you know what it is, Sammy? It sounds like a normal salt-n-burn if you ask me." The second man, the older one this time, asks. But what was he talking about? I had come in at a strange point in the conversation and I hated the confusion that washed over me. They were some type of investigator, of course, if they were talking about bodies and crime scenes. Some sort of private eyes? But that didn't explain why the older was talking about burning something. Unless the bodies had been burned?

Before my mind could continue on that train of thought the younger brother, Sammy, spoke again, annoyance clearly heard in his voice. "Yes Dean, I'm sure. You didn't see it but I was there. I saw sulfur on the window ledge. You know what that means, same as I do." And if things didn't get stranger and stranger. What were these people? Not any private eyes I had ever heard of. Unless sulfur was a reference to a killer they were tracking or something like that. If it was even possible, my curiosity decided that now was a good time to rear up and dig sharp little claws into my head once more, straight into my brain and holding on tight.

The mystery was in full swing and now I just needed information. More puzzle pieces for the few I had already gathered.

"Ah man! And here I thought this would be an easy case. Dammit, I hate demons." Dean growls out in anger, but that isn't the only thing that happens.

Upon hearing the word 'demons' the coffee I had been drinking promptly went down the wrong pipe and I started choking. Eyes wide I struggle to get my breathing under control even though I already know I'm found out. A choking person right behind you is kind of hard to miss. It was my turn to curse as I turned around to see hazel eyes looking at me over the back of the booth. The elder was already out and blocking my exit. Huh, like that would stop me if I really wanted to leave.

Placatingly, I put my hands up in the air, palms outward so they could see that I meant no harm. "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone you two are crazy." I said with a smile because a normal person would think they were crazy and wouldn't believe them. They would already be on their way to a visit with the friendly head shrink if I was any normal person. Too bad I wasn't normal. Too bad for them. And really, I had nothing against crazy people anyway. I knew I was a little bit off in the head. One too many crucios as a teenager, would be my guess.

"You, ah, how much did you hear?" the man standing up asked, looking nervous. He had a mess to clean up but he needed to know how much I knew for accurate damage control. I've had to do that before. It was never any fun and usually meant someone was dead. Luckily it wasn't that way right now. I would hate to have to kill someone, or be the one killed.

Now it was time to up the stakes, in a way. I wanted to know what the heck was going on around here and what they were doing getting involved with demons. I didn't know much about them, but I did know that they were very bad news. Voldemort level bad news. So I turned my head up to meet Dean's eyes. Hazel as well, but more green than brown. Eye contact was what I needed for this to work and a moment later I used what little mind-reading ability I had to scan his surface thought.

Hunters. They dealt with the supernatural by tracking down odd deaths in the newspapers. Two people had already died and Dean had though it was a ghost at first. Hence, salt-n-burn. It was how they destroyed the ghosts that started creating havoc among the living. But demons, they were tough bastards and worse than I first thought. Apparently, they were upper level bad-guys, close to the top of what this man thought of as the supernatural 'fugly' list.

This hunters thoughts were various, going off on different tangents about different monsters he had seen and fought. There were so many creature I had never even heard of, and more that I had but never seen like this. Did this land twist its creatures, for England did not have half the problems America did.

I was taking too long to answer, however, and they were starting to get suspicious. Now it was time to deflect, but I had to be careful or things could end up going in a way I didn't quite want. I lowered my hands as I spoke to them. "Honestly, if you are planning on killing something, it might be best to keep a better eye on your surroundings. Never know who might be listening in on your conversation. I am Harry and you are lucky I know a bit about this stuff or I might have you committed." I can't help but grin to take some of the sting out of my words.

Dean blinked and sat down across from me while his brother gets up and joins him. "You're a hunter?" he asks, leaning forward a bit, but moves back when I shake my head in the negative.

"No. I don't hunt but I have run across the supernatural on occasion. I don't seek it out but I deal with what crosses my path." I say, weaving my lie-just enough truth to make it harder to see-as I meet the eyes of the younger brother. His brain is stuffed full of information and I have to hide my wince as I take in too much in too short a space of time. It will be a bitch to deal with but it will be a help later on so I deal with the pain behind my eyes.

"Oh," he says and sits back as well, disappointed but not letting it show very much. Dean is scrutinizing me, taking my measure before crossing his arms and smirking at me. Smug bastard. He doesn't think I can handle it.

"Okay then. What do you know about demons?" his eyes are gleaming. He can see a bluff and thinks I'm lying. I won't prove him right but I'll be damned if I'm going to be tested like some wet-behind-the-ears first year.

"Enough to know when I'm out of my league. What about you? Really think you can handle a demon, huh? One or two, sure no problem, catch them in a Devil's trap and exorcize their asses back under. But I doubt that. They've been moving in larger and larger groups recently, and a bigger group is harder to take out. I wouldn't want to try it on my own, or even if I had back up." I put my head in my hands and glare at them through my bangs. "Of course, if you want to risk the deaths of even more people by trying to take down something you aren't prepared for, then go for it. Don't let me stop you. I want no part of this."

My curiosity will have to take a back-burner. My life comes before it. And others lives before that. I know good and well that nothing good will come of trying to stop a group of demons on my own. And even if I joined up with these two, I would be less than useless. Nothing but canon fodder. After all, I am a wizard, and these two are hunters. It's a proven fact, according to their minds, that we would not get along.

Demon deal indeed.

But Dean drags me back to the present with a snap. His face had steadily gotten darker the more I spoke and now he almost looks like he is about to start spitting fire. "So you think we can't cut it?" he barks at me. His anger is an almost visible spectrum, a storm raging around his head.

"I said nothing of the sort. Just that it would be a foolish endeavor. And that I, myself, am not particularly keen on getting involved. I value life, both myself and others, far more than what my skills would be able to handle in this sort of situation. As I have no idea as to how skilled you two are, I cannot accurately judge as to your success if you take this on." And there are my political classes in action. Hopefully that will get rid of some of his anger. Don't want the subjects of my interest to shoot me the next time I see them because I had managed to piss them off.

Of course, the younger brother, Sammy, doesn't seem to be too upset with me. In fact, it seems that he is taking my words to heart if the expression on his face means anything. So one out of two ain't that bad. And the one I like most as well, hmm, Fate must be happy with me for once. "I get that but help would be appreciated." He said even as his brother uncrossed his arms before huffing and crossing them again.

I raise my eyebrow at him even as his brother sighs, seeming to understand the message that I missed. "No can do Sammy, the runt will only get in the way." Dean growled angrily as he stood up and pushed his brother out of the booth. The taller of the two allows this but still pulls a face as he straightens up and backs away to allow his brother out. As Dean stands up and stretches himself to his tallest height-still inches below his brother-in an effort to intimidate me he points at me and says, "Stay out of our way."

Once more they leave, the younger casting one look over his shoulder before heading out the door. I stay put this time and slowly finish my coffee. There is no need for me to go bolting out the door this time. They would be sticking around for a while to finish this hunt so I knew that I would be able to see them again.

I just hoped Dean wouldn't shoot me.

Mondays. I seemed to always meet the two brothers on a Monday. I wasn't sure what it was about that day but I was really starting to develop a love-hate relationship with it. A week later, three more deaths, and they were no closer to finding the demons than a week before when I saw them in that little diner. I had seen them off and on as they investigated, and they cut strong figures in their FBI outfits. Hell, if I didn't know any better I would have believed it as well. But I did know better, and all it did was make me feel sorry for America's law enforcement if they could be imitated so easily.

I think they were on to me, though. Or at least Sammy was. A few times before they walked into whatever house they were interviewing at the time he would look behind him before walking in. And he would look right at me. I'm not sure what it was about him but with every look that feeling of needing to know just got so much stronger. Also, so too did my attraction towards the youngest brother. It was a puzzle and I needed so many more pieces than what I had. This whole thing was so very curious and mysterious.

Unfortunately, at that point it time, there was no use worrying over these facts. Even though the brothers were no closer to finding the demons responsible I could no longer say the same thing about myself.

They had found me the day before and now they were planning on using me as bait to lure in the hunters. I had been planning on staying out of this and thought that I had succeeded in staying off the demons radar. I was very mistaken, and also very pissed.

At least the ropes weren't too tight and they didn't torture me like they could. I had heard that demons liked doing that, that they even had specialists. I could deal with the chaffed wrists and the uncomfortable chair, hell even the room didn't bother me that much after a couple of hours. The only unfortunate thing about this whole arrangement was that the damn demons decided to ignore me. Normally not so much of a bad thing but for all intents and purposes I was invisible, I did not exist. I'm not one to bemoan good fortune but over twenty-four hours in and dammit I needed to take a piss and the Winchester's were taking way to damn long to follow the neon trail the black-eyed bastards left behind.

Oh, I knew who they were. They may have been ignoring me but the demons were a talkative bunch. Low-levels no doubt, with delusions of grandeur trying to get in cozy with the big man down under by handing over the brothers. Apparently they were important, they were the key to something big. Something the demons all seemed to be really excited about.

The reason for the Apocalypse.

Samuel Winchester, the one chosen to be the Devil's body on earth. Dean Winchester, the one chosen to be the Archangel Michael's vessel. They were supposed to go head to head in the end, in an effort to save the world or end it. The ultimate battle, brother versus brother in a showdown to decide the fate of the world. But those two going at it, they were more likely to destroy the world instead.

And here I was dragged into the middle of it.

Damn my curiosity!

I tried shifting around as best I could to get rid of the pressure on my wrists and on my bladder as best as I could but it wasn't working. And no matter how many times I asked to be released for a few minutes to go to the bathroom the stupid black-eyed bitches kept ignoring me. I was about ready to say 'fuck it' and just use magic to get myself out of there. But that would let out that I wasn't helpless, that I wasn't defenseless and then they might stop ignoring me. I wasn't prepared to face the consequences of that yet.

Several uncomfortable hours later and there was a loud commotion going on on the floor above where I was being held. So, naturally, that meant I had to be below ground, because why the heck would they enter through the roof unless they had wings. Which honestly wouldn't surprise me if I think about it, they did have an angel on their side. The silly man in the trench coat that appeared with a sound of wings, yeah, I expected something glowier. I mean, come on, angels are glowy, right?

Don't answer that.

The two demons that were staying with me as a 'guard' both looked at each other in confusion before turning towards the door as the noise resolved itself into crashes and gunfire drawing ever closer. The door barring the way was made of that crappy paneling like fake wood, super flimsy and easy to break. Proven so by Dean Winchester shattering the area around the lock by what looked to be a solid kick. He seemed surprised with the ease it took because he stumbled inward a bit with the extra force, hands clinched tight around a sawed of shotgun.

As Dean stepped inside over the remains of the door his brother followed closely behind. In his hand was a dark knife covered in blood, the only weapon he had in sight. They both stopped when they saw the two demons standing there and me tied down to a chair behind them. It must have seemed rather anti-climactic from their end, I assume, but I, for one, was grateful for their assistance.

"Dude, you?" was the oh so eloquent question posed by the elder Winchester once he seemed to remember who I was. His expression and tone of voice clearly told how he felt about this situation and I really couldn't find it in myself to blame him for it. I liked him about as much as he liked me, which is to say, not at all. I would not let that stop me from saving him, however, if our positions were reversed. I only hope he felt the same way.

But I was angry and tired of being held down so I said the first thing that came to my mind, which happened to be, "Please spare me the melodrama and just get me out of here already. I have been here for over a day and these demon bastards don't believe in potty breaks." I growled angrily and tugged on the ropes once more while Dean snorted at me and the other brother raised an eyebrow.

The two demons were not amused by the exchange. The expressed this displeasure by leaping forward and physically attacking the eldest brother while Sammy-which fit better than Samuel, really-was jumped from behind. Soon enough they were surrounded and outnumbered three-to-one. I was not impressed by the rescue. Now it looked like I was going to have to get myself out after all.

Goody.

Dean's shotgun looked to be having as much effect on the demons as a peashooter would a pitbull, irritating but not dangerous in the least. But he was going at it like there was no tomorrow, which had me fighting back a laugh at that thought, because it led to even worse thoughts that I just didn't have the time to think. Sammy's knife, on the other hand, actually seemed to be doing some good if the freak lightning show that went on inside the body of the demon he stabbed in the throat had anything to do about it. All in all it seemed like the younger brother was the only one able to kill these black-eyed creatures and the older was just there as a loud distraction.

And it was a good thing too because Dean took the brunt of the attack, leaving Sammy open to stab and slice open two more demons in one fell swoop. An action so smooth that it proved just how long they had been doing this for murder to look that good.

Soon enough only two were left, the other taken out but a swift lunge and a knife shoved underneath the demons throat and up threw his skull, and Dean made his way over to me and cut me loose with a knife he fetched out of his pocket. I had to use his arm for leverage to get myself standing because sitting down for almost thirty-six hours was hell on your legs, apparently.

In the time it took Dean to free me and me to get myself standing Sammy had offed the last two demons and was now looking at us expectantly, blood dripping off his knife and splattered across his body. The demons were laid out on the floor and dark blood continued spreading slowly from the wounds that had been inflicted.

It would be best if I didn't focus on that, though. To many memories and I didn't want to break out into tears or hysteric laughter while the hunters were staring at me. "Thank you boys, that rescue was most fortunate. Now, if you will, let us be off so that I can find the nearest demon-free bathroom." I said happily and trotted forward instead. It was easier to be happy that it was to worry.

Sammy raised his eyebrow again and gave me a look. Something told me he wasn't too impressed with my chipper attitude. The grumbled cursing from his brother as Dean stepped around me was proof of his thoughts on the matter, not that I expected much differently.

"Dude, this is just wrong. No one should be that happy after being held hostage." He finally complained out loud as we made our exit, both of the Winchesters staying on guard for more demons while I was busy admiring Sammy from the back. It seemed that somewhere along the way my curiosity and simple attraction had transformed into something else. Or rather, grown bigger. I wasn't sure I knew quite what it was yet but it involved a heavy dose of lust instead of just physical attraction in any case.

"Yes, well, it isn't the first time I was held against my will and I'm quite sure it won't be the last. So long as I get out in one piece and relatively intact I have every reason to be happy. At least I wasn't tortured this time, always a plus." I said with a wide smile when they both stopped dead in their tracks and turned to look at me like I was a few cards short of a deck.

"Serious?" was all that Sammy said although the look he was giving me was enough to say that he had a lot of very invasive questions he would like to ask depending on my answer.

My smile only gets wider in response even though I bite my tongue to keep from replying with, "No I'm Harry, that's my dogfather." If only because I know it would just confuse them. And prove them right, even though they really were, but that was beside the point in any case.

"Dude." Dean says once more before turning around and walking off, Sammy a few heartbeats behind but now throwing looks over his tall shoulder to make sure I was still there. It made me feel all warm and mushy inside, and also promptly reminded me that it would be a bad idea to get involved with a hunter, no matter how ripped said hunter was. No, it wouldn't be a bad idea, it would be a Bad Idea.

Yes, capitol letters. Fear them.

They dropped me off in my hotel room before leaving. But I wasn't worried. I knew I would see them again, some other Monday down the road. Or, maybe even sooner.

Dean left first but Sammy stayed behind for a moment before he left, hazel eyes still so full of questions that needed answers. Like me he knew a puzzle when he saw one, and he would not rest until every piece was put into place and the final picture revealed. So it didn't surprise me at all when he handed me a slip of paper with a number on it and told me to call him if ever I needed anything.

He shut the door behind him with one last glance before disappearing to his brother's side. If only I could be so lucky to have that, someone who would be with me through anything. I used to have that, but I lost it with the marriage of my two best friends. There was no room for a third wheel.

Was that what I was to be here as well, I thought as I put the slip of paper into my wallet and gathered my things together to move onto the next town. Even if something where to happen between me and Sammy, his brother would always be there, holding more of him than I could.

The tracking charm was a warm tingle in the back of my mind as they left the area. Moving on to the next town, the next hunt, the next monster to kill. Would I care either way?

I didn't think so. I stood up suddenly and grinned at no one. Besides, the mystery wasn't over yet. I still had so much more that I needed to know about the Winchester brothers, about Sammy. I wasn't going to give up because of some stupid complication like them being hunters and my being a wizard. And besides, if they Apocalypse really was bearing down on humanity like the demons said, then I was going to be there, right on the frontlines. I didn't have it in me to run away from a challenge.

With a quick spin on my heel and a pulse of magic I was gone, apparating away to the next town in line. I was going to track the Winchester's every step of the way. I would follow them, even if they didn't want me too. I was just stubborn that way.

And really, Sammy was too fine a man to let go of.

Gotta love that little thing called curiosity.

Chapter length: 5741 words

Another Note: Holy Mother that was longer than I thought it would be. It's like the one-shot that never ends! And it feels kind of incomplete too, hmm, maybe a sequel is needed for this? Who knows. Hope you liked it Kirallie, and sorry it took so long to get out. Better late than never, though, right? Right? Anyway, please review, tell me what you think and if you would like to see a continuation of this. Thank you for reading!