Hey! Yes, I know I have other things to update, but I've been dying to post a couple new things I've been working on. Don't expect fast updates on them though. In case you didn't know, I am a huge Ally Carter fan. I love both Heist Society and Gallaghers, and I wanted to do something like Heist Society in the Harry Potter realm. I'm putting this under crossover because I am taking a lot of Heist Society's plot and some of the character structure, but there will be magic and other differences from Ally Carter's book. Hope you enjoy! Disclaimer: I do not own Heist Society or Harry Potter. What a lucky girl I would be though.
Summary: Kayla Bishop, the daughter of big-time thieves, has done everything she could to distance herself from her family and their business. After graduation, she quits the business and joins the Order of the Phoenix, throwing herself into the fight against Voldemort and presenting the perfect hardworking Hufflepuff image people expect. Her plans are interrupted by the presence of Harry 'Hale' Potter: the enigmatic middle Potter child, her former best friend, and the boy she left behind. Delivering a message from her uncle, Hale is determined to bring her back to the world he knows she belongs to. Will Kayla rejoin the family business for good, or her loyalties lie in her new life?
Kayla Bishop tapped her fingers lazily on the table, listening half-heartedly to the Order meeting. She was glad she had joined and could contribute to something good, but the meetings were sometimes dry and boring (so unlike the family ones she remembered).
She looked around the room. Moody glared around suspiciously while Kingsley seemed relaxed. To no one's surprise, Tonks was sitting very close to a blushing Remus. Sirius unsuccessfully tried to flirt with Emmeline Vance, his efforts causing James Potter to choke back chuckles. Severus Snape was in a bad mood as per usual, though he occasionally glanced over at Lily Potter, who studiously ignored him while listening to Dumbledore. The older Potter sibling, Keegan, listened with attentive interest, proving exactly why he had been sorted into Ravenclaw. The youngest Potter, Logan, just looked bored sitting next to his fellow Gryffindor and best friend, Neville Longbottom, known as the Boy-Who-Lived.
Kayla catalogued every small detail, every quirk, of the people sitting at the table. If she wanted to, she could steal their wallets, watches, and wands, and they'd be none the wiser. But you won't, she reminded herself. You left that all behind. She had wanted a new life, a different life, and that's what she had.
Tuning back in, Dumbledore was about to end the meeting when he spotted something and smiled. Everyone turned around to see Harry "Hale" Potter, the middle Potter child, standing in the doorway.
Kayla felt her heart skip a bit. She hadn't seen Hale since Hogwarts graduation three years ago, when she decided to leave the family business and all that came with it, including him. He looked good, really good. He was tan, his black hair still as messy as ever and infinitely appealing, a hint of stubble on his face. He was dressed as usual: black t-shirt, grey cargo pants, black leather jacket, and black combat books. It was rare he ever switched up that combo. For a Hufflepuff, Harry really did like his black.
Lily and James looked excited to see their middle son. They'd fought with Hale after his graduation, trying to convince him to join the Order. He had refused, and they hadn't really been talking since. All the Potters heard about him came through secondhand sources, and it was mostly information about his career. Truthfully, Lily and James had never understood their Hufflepuff son who seemed to be lacking loyalty. Kayla understood perfectly fine. He just wasn't loyal to them.
"Ah, Harry, my boy, please come in," Dumbledore said, still smiling like he was someone's old grandfather.
Hale's eyes revealed nothing, though there was a hint of annoyance on his face at being called his real name. Hale hated his name. "Good evening, Headmaster," he said respectfully. "May I speak with Kayla for a moment?"
Kayla couldn't help but snort. "I haven't seen or heard from you in three years, and now you want to talk?" she asked incredulously.
Hale's gaze was cool. "If I remember correctly, that was your choice," he replied back. "You left us, remember?"
Her face red, Kayla stood her ground. "Whatever you want to say to me, you can say in front of them," she insisted.
Hale shrugged, seemingly not bothered. "Fine," he said. "Your uncle sent me with a message for you."
Kayla laughed. "You're delivering messages for Uncle Shay now?" Hale and her uncle liked each other as much as Gryffindors liked Snape. Uncle Shay didn't trust outsiders, and though Hale had adapted to their life and customs effortlessly, he would always be an outsider to the older man.
Hale smirked. "Shay and I do have different styles, but I thought this message worth delivering." His eyes were glowing intensely. "There's a job for you."
Everyone perked up. It was known the Vazzoli family, Kayla's mom's family, were skilled thieves, pulling off some of the most famous heists in history. It was rumored the Vazzolis were the reason for some of the more extreme protections in Gringotts. Kayla's father, Anthony Bishop, had been a Muggleborn pickpocket who trailed her mother home one day. Shay Vazzoli had been mildly impressed at the least and let him stay. Anthony had fallen in love with Victoria Vazzoli, his great niece, and the rest was history.
Kayla let out a great old tired sigh. "Hale, I'm out of the family business."
Hale's emerald eyes bore into her. "Maybe," he said. "But are you out of the family?"
Kayla stared at him. "What are you talking about?" she demanded to know, fear growing in her heart. She knew something was wrong. She didn't know how she knew, just that she did. She had gotten the same feeling when her mother had died, when she'd broken her arm, when Hale didn't answer immediately during their first heist in Morocco…
For a moment, Hale's masked slipped. He didn't look confident or cocky, just tired and worn and a little bit scared. The moment passed so quickly Kayla doubted anyone else caught it. "Tell him to give them back."
"What?" she asked, confused beyond belief.
Hale rolled his eyes. "That's Shay's message for your dad."
Kayla sighed. Hale had managed to do what she'd hoped he wouldn't: make her curious. "What happened?"
Hale hesitated, and Kayla's heart unexpected dropped when she realized he didn't know if he could trust her anymore. It hurt more than she thought it would, even after three years apart. She had never felt more ashamed sitting amongst Aurors.
"Hale, it's my dad. I need to know. "
He sighed, running his hands through his hair that so desperately need a haircut. "Fine, but I'm getting the crew. I'm only giving this spiel once." He turned to Dumbledore. "May I use your Floo?"
"Of course, Mr. Potter," the headmaster replied generously. Many looked surprised at his formal address of Hale, but he just gave a short nod and threw the Floo powder into the fireplace, calling out a name she was familiar with. Kayla knew this was a wise move on Dumbledore's part. Hale didn't like the man already. There was no need to add fuel to the fire by calling him by a name he hated.
A familiar face appeared, causing a pang in Kayla's heart. She hadn't seen her cousins, her uncle, her dad, any of her family, in over two years. Giving up the family business had unfortunately meant giving them up too.
"Hale!" the face exclaimed. "Sam was getting worried, but I told her, 'If Hale can manage not to die or get maimed in some of the most dangerous ruin sites in the world, then statistically he should be able to handle himself in London for a couple of hours."
Hale laughed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Silas. Can you get everyone here in half an hour?"
Kayla smiled as she saw Silas's head bob up and down. "You got it, captain." Silas's head left the fireplace, leaving the room quiet and uncomfortable. Some would think it was odd Hale seemed so out of place somewhere he'd been a million times before, but Kayla knew better. Hale had never felt like he fit into his family. He was just the Hufflepuff, the middle child, the one no one needed.
It didn't take long for the fireplace to flash, and two figures stepped out. A messy brown-haired boy with glasses sliding down his noses and the look of someone who got beat up a lot in school. The second person caught everyone's eye as Kayla knew she always did. Samantha Zabini stepped out of the fireplace, flipping her silky blond hair and scanning the room with her stunning blue eyes. Kayla, mousy brown-hair and grey eyed, had always felt plain next to her beautiful cousin. After all, most guys preferred girls who looked like supermodels, not ones who reminded them of their little sisters.
Sam walked towards Hale, her hips swaying like they were moving to music. He grinned. "Done with the show, Sam?" he quipped.
Sam pouted while Silas laughed. "So mean, Hale," she purred.
Hale smirked. "I try."
Sam rolled her eyes before turning around to face Kayla. "Hello, cousin," she said smoothly. "Miss me?"
Kayla resisted the eye-rolling that was a Vazzoli trait. "Hello, Samantha," she replied. "How's Auntie?"
Sam shrugged. "Married again. To a count, I think. Or a duke." She turned to Hale. "Which is better?"
Hale laughed. "A duke, though I'm sure both would have enough money to satisfy your mother."
Sam's eyes darkened, and Silas quickly changed the subject. "Where's Ellie?"
Hale and Sam both smiled. "Ellie's always late," they said in unison. As if on cue, the fireplace flashed, and Eleanor Vazzoli, more affectionately known as Ellie, stumbled out of it. Hale automatically moved to catch her, causing Sam and Silas to laugh.
"You'd think after almost twenty years of trying to use the Floo you'd actually be able to step out of without falling flat on your face," Sam quipped casually.
Ellie stuck her tongue out at Sam until she realized who had caught her. "Hale!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him in enthusiastic hug. "I've missed you so much! How was Brazil? Did you find anything good? Everyone in Egypt asked about you. Sierra's still mad at you, but she'll get over it. What's going on? Where are Andruis and Hade?"
Logan Potter looked at Ellie in shock. "How does she talk so fast?"
Kayla smiled wryly. "Hufflepuff talent," she quoted with a laugh.
Hale smiled. "Damn straight," he replied.
"Where are Andruis and Hade?" Kayla couldn't help but ask.
"In prison," Sam replied cheerfully. Many Order members looked at her in surprise. "In Istanbul."
"For…?" Kayla prodded.
Same and Hale shared a look. "Sorry, cousin," Sam replied. "Can't say. I will say that it was a wild summer."
Hale cleared his throat. "Actually, I just paid Andruis and Hade's bail. They should be here any minute."
True to his word, the fireplace flashed yet again, and two people stepped out. The Weasley twins recognized the look of two people who cause as much trouble as they did.
"Hale!" Andruis proclaimed.
"Smashing to see you," Hade declared.
"Our fearless leader…"
"Who rescued us from the despair of Turkish prison."
"Cut it out, Wonder Twins," Sam sniped.
Andruis and Hade bowed deeply. "Yes, mistress," they replied in deep voices.
Silas rolled his eyes. Kayla looked over at Dumbledore. He seemed to be chuckling. Hale noticed this too, hiding his own smile.
Silas spoke up. "So what's all this about, Hale?"
Hale's eyes darkened. "Why don't we sit down?" Dumbledore suggested graciously.
The seating arrangements themselves said a lot. The Order all sat together, glancing suspiciously at the newcomers. Hale sat by Sam and Silas, ignoring the looks of his family. For some reason, this made Kayla infinitely sad.
Hale started talking. "Two weeks ago, a crew pulled a job in Venice. Nobody knows how many there were, but we do know they stole some of the most priceless magical artifacts in the world. The black market it just buzzing at the opportunity to get their hands on some of this stuff."
"Whose were they?" Silas asked, his famous brain scanning through possible owners. Even Kayla was scanning her minds for possibilities, though she'd never admit it.
"Antonio Taccone," Hale replied, his face solemn. Sam let out a small gasp while the others looked confused.
"Antonio Taccone?" James questioned, not familiar with the name. It wasn't surprising to Hale. Unless you were involved in the underground in some shape or form, Antonio Taccone was an unknown, a puppet master you didn't even know pulled the strings.
"He's one of Voldemort's financial backers. Very rich, very powerful in the underworld. Even Voldemort wouldn't dare mess up his dealings," he explained.
"What does he deal in?" Logan, ever the naïve youngest Potter, asked.
Sam started to speak, but Hale's voice was what was heard. "Evil," Hale answered seriously, an uncharacteristically somber look in his eyes. "Antonio Taccone deals in evil."
"What does this have to do with my dad?" Kayla asked, her brow furrowed.
"The list of people who could've pulled that job is short," Hale explained. "You'd need certain skills: cursebreaking, warding…"
"My dad is on the suspect list," Kayla guessed.
"Your dad is the suspect list," Hale corrected. "Taccone is out for his blood."
Sam's eyes widened. "And what did Uncle Shay say?"
Hale gave her a look. "What do you think he said?"
Sam sighed. "So what do we do?" It didn't escape anyone's notice that the group's eyes shifted to Hale. Kayla idly wondered when that had happened. Clearly, she'd missed a lot.
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Hade said. "We steal that stuff back."
Hale pinched his nose and tried to hold back a sigh. "Yes, because we steal priceless magical artifacts every day from one of the most secure well-warded manors in the country."
"We have the best crew around," Andruis insisted, picking up his brother's argument. "Hade and I can distract anyone, you're a warding expert, Silas's smarter than Merlin, Sam can sweet talk just about anyone, and Ellie's sneaker than a fox."
Morale seemed to be growing, but Hale still looked reluctant. "Okay, three things to consider before you guys decide to do this job. First, there is nothing in it for anyone. Second, we only have two weeks starting two days ago to return the items to Taccone. Third, we do this without Shay's approval."
That gave everyone a chance to pause. Though the Order did not know who Shay was (for the most part), they could tell the rest of the crew was reluctant to do anything without his approval.
Sam gave Hale a look. He sighed. "He said that if I wanted to help Anthony it was my business, but he advised not to and to keep the rest of his family out of it."
"Then why are you here?" Kayla asked, stressing her words. Even after years of being his friend (and being in love with him), she was not any closer to understanding him.
Hale's eyes bore into hers, making her feel like they were the only two people in the room. "It's your dad," he replied. "Why wouldn't I be here?"
Kayla was stunned by his words, by how effortlessly he said that. Three years, three years in which they had no contact, and he still cared that much? Sam's words right before graduation, when she had decided to leave the family, haunted her. "You don't know what you're giving up," her beautiful cousin had warned. Kayla had thought she was taking about her talents in thievery, her family, but now she realized Sam had meant Hale.
She was so enamored in her thoughts she didn't pick back up the rest of the conversation until Hale turned to everyone else and asked, "Who's in?"
"I'm in," Ellie immediately, surprising many in the room who expected Sam or one of the twins to volunteer first.
"Why is it that you and Hale are always the firs to volunteer for dangerous missions?" Silas asked theoretically.
"Because we're Hufflepuffs, and we don't let one of our own go into anything alone," Ellie answered smugly.
"We're both in," Hade and Andruis said simultaneously, eliciting many looks from Order members. 'Was it really possible there are another set of twins like Fred and George?' was the main concern on their minds.
"Statistically, this job is bound to fail, but I'm in anyway," Simon concluded.
"Thanks for the show of support, Silas," Hale teased. "I know how hard it is for you to go against data."
The crew's eyes shifted to Sam and Kayla, the only unconfirmed members. Sam raised an eyebrow. "I was in the moment Hale said Uncle Tony was in trouble," she replied.
Hale turned to look at Kayla, his emerald green eyes boring into hers. She wanted to say so many things: that she had left this life years ago, that her dad could solve his own problems, that this mission was impossible. That she was sorry it took something like this for her to see them all again. The only words that did leave her mouth were, "I'm in."