Reincarnated

"You be Beauty and I'll be the beast!" a little boy yelled, his cry echoing over the quiet village of Budleigh Babberton.

The sun was shining bright, high up in the watery blue sky and the muggles were going about their daily business.

"Why are you making me do this?" hissed Seamus, gripping tightly to the hand of his partner in crime.

Blaise glared at him.

"Shhh," he whispered, placing a finger over the other man's lips. "That's the boy we're after."

"That one?" asked Seamus incredulously. He kept his voice down though; he knew what Blaise was like when he was angry.

"Where have you gone, Sally?" the little boy called, his cries sounding less and less like a game and more and more like true terror.

The name Sally sent a shiver down Seamus' spine but he couldn't understand why.

"Come on," mouthed Blaise and Seamus pulled himself out of his crouch almost up to his full height.

They were stood behind the thick trunk of an ancient oak tree, its branches splayed out and weighed down with green and brown leaves. It cast a shadow over the two men leaving them in a chill dull grey light so unlike the rest of the weather in the village.

Blaise crept forward towards the child, a boy of about seven or eight, with dead straight, midnight black hair hanging around his shoulders. Neither of the men could make out his face from this distance but Seamus trusted that Blaise knew what he was doing. He was the more experienced of the two at least.

"So what now?" asked Seamus. "Do we just leap in and grab him?"

"No! What are you? A child snatcher?" Blaise looked almost furious. "This is art, not kidnapping."

Seamus glared at him.

"We follow him," said Blaise. He lifted his partner's hand and kissed it. "Follow me."

Seamus followed Blaise all afternoon. He was glad that the sun wasn't too hot because they had no water. He was glad that the kid stayed in the same place most of the time because they had no food. But most of all he was glad that there was a pub at the edge of the village.

It was six o' clock. The sun was setting, a beautiful golden glow lacing the slate roofs and burning through the silver duck pond. There were no ducks.

"No, mummy, no. I have to find Sally."

The little boy's plaintive voice could be heard loud and clear, his shrill desperation giving Seamus another shiver.

"Sally?" asked his worried looking mother; a tall, fancy looking woman sporting the same black hair as her son, only hers was shorter and curlier.

"Yeah, Sally," said the boy. "He said he would play with me."

"Well, it's much too late for playing. Come along, Tommy, let's get you in the bath."

As the boy was guided into his house, Blaise turned to Seamus.

"That's what I was looking for," he said, his eyes wide and frightened. "It really is him, come back. We're gonna have to take him in."

"What were you looking for?" asked Seamus, his eyebrows wrinkling in confusion. "What in Merlin's name were you looking for?"

Blaise looked at him, expressions of sorrow and worry mingling on his face.

"I'll tell you in a minute," he said, his eyes darting away from Seamus' face and towards the boy's house, Tommy's house. "We're going to that pub."

Seamus grinned. This was more like it. He wondered what they would sell, since this was a muggle village. He doubted that it would be fire whiskey, but anything was better than nothing and he would settle to tame muggle lager today.

The two men pushed open the door of the pub. They weren't sure what to expect, Seamus having never visited a muggle pub despite the fact that his father was both a muggle and Irish. Blaise was also a novice in muggle pubs, having never really mingled with muggle society ever.

Seamus reached out a hand and clasped Blaise's tightly.

"They're only muggles," he snapped, when Blaise stopped dead still, staring ahead of him.

The pub was dimly lit but Seamus could still make out the bar at the other end, the bartender stood behind it; a large, red faced man with a Southern US drawl. It was busy, full of muggles spending the Saturday night drinking away their troubles before they all gathered in the village church the next day to confess their sins.

"Let's go somewhere else," said Blaise.

"There's nowhere else around."

"Even out there's better than in here with all these muggles."

Seamus glared at Blaise. His partner almost seemed to forget that Seamus himself was from a half blood family.

"Well, you can leave me in here and I'll drink with my own kind," he hissed. "You go out there, sit on the green, have a good time all by your pure blood self."

Seamus strode over to the bar, his nostrils flared. He had been surprised when Blaise had asked him out. Shocked, even. But he had taken it in his stride. He had ignored the man's pure blood past and his extremist connections. He had ignored the things Blaise had done because he loved him.

He hoped that Blaise would get over his prejudices and sit down beside him. He hoped that his partner would order a drink, behaving as if he was in the Three Broomsticks or the Leakey Cauldron. He needed Blaise to come back because he had no idea what he was doing.

He wracked his brains, trying to remember the names of muggle drinks.

"Sorry," said a voice next to him. He turned his head to see Blaise sat at the next bar stool.

"Are you?" asked Seamus, not certain whether he believed the man.

"I am."

"Well then, can you act civilised around the muggles? You told me we had to stay under cover."

Before Blaise could answer, the bartender had sidled up to them.

"D'you say muggles?" he asked, his accent thick. "You wizarding folk?"

Blaise gave Seamus a look that said 'now look what you've done'.

"Yeah," said Seamus, ignoring Blaise. "Are you?"

It sounded ridiculous, like some sort of child's secret club, but Seamus was excited. If the man was a wizard, then perhaps he would have some stronger alcohol, maybe out the back where the muggles wouldn't see it. Seamus couldn't deal with Blaise in this sort of mood unless he was drunk and muggle drink just wasn't strong enough.

The bartender looked embarrassed.

"Squib," he said quietly. "I've been living in this here town for too long, ever since I left home. Decided to head across the sea and see what England had to offer me seeing as my home town pretty much kicked me out."

Seamus leapt at his chance.

"You wouldn't happen to have any wizarding alcohol for sale? Perhaps round the back?" he asked, leaning against the bar, close to the bartender.

"I get that question from most Irish wizards that drop by here," said the bartender, his eyes twinkling. "Y'all wait here, I'll get you something."

Seamus waited whilst the bartender (they still didn't know his name) hurried off to find them something to drink. He hoped it would be fire whiskey, not butterbeer. He needed something strong.

"What are we going to do with that kid, then?" Seamus asked Blaise. "Why are we here in the first place? A few explanations would be nice."

"You're here because you love me," said Blaise, smirking. "I'm here because I'm a bounty hunter and that kid is a criminal."

"He's what, seven?" asked Seamus. "And a criminal? Who are you working for, Blaise? 'Cause it sure aint the ministry. They don't take down seven year olds."

"I'm working for an organisation much more powerful than the ministry. An organisation which truly understands some of the more- shall we say discrete- types of magic."

"You're so up your own arse, aren't you, Blaise Zabini?" Seamus snapped, losing his temper yet again. "If you're so clever, what is this magic?"

"Reincarnation," said Blaise, taking the drink the bartender handed him. "Is this fire whiskey?" he asked.

"Sure is," said the bartender. "Finest in this part of the country, so they say. Oh, and please call me Eddy."

"Alright, Eddy," said Blaise, smirking. "Would you like us to pay you in galleons or sterling?"

"Sterling's good," said Eddy. "I can't give change to muggles in galleons."

"Another thing; have you got a room we could rent for the night? Money is of no issue," added Blaise.

Seamus felt relieved at his partner's words. A room, a single room. So Blaise couldn't be too mad at him, could he?

"Two beds?" asked Eddy, counting on his fingers, totting up the cost.

Seamus gulped his fire whiskey, waiting for Blaise to answer.

"Two if possible," said Blaise calmly.

Seamus choked on his whiskey, spluttering it across the polished table top. Blaise glanced at him coolly.

"Got a problem?" he asked.

Seamus shook his head and looked down at the bar. His spilled whiskey was bubbling, slowly dissolving the lacquered top.

"Never knew this stuff was so strong," he muttered, avoiding Blaise's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Blaise asked.

Eddy looked at the two men curiously.

"Y'all ok?" he asked. "I got two rooms if you need them."

"One is sufficient," said Blaise, glaring at Seamus.

For a moment, Seamus thought that perhaps it was just to keep their cover. Perhaps Blaise had asked for two beds, paid for two beds, but really wanted to sleep in one, like they had recently started doing when Seamus stayed over at Blaise's flat.

But then he realised otherwise.

Blaise was a tight arse. He wouldn't spend money on something he wasn't going to use. He had paid for two beds and they would sleep in two beds whether his partner was happy or not.

Seamus drank some more.

"Come on," said Blaise, tugging gently at Seamus' arm. "Time for bed, partner."

Seamus jerked upright. The world spun around him and his head reeled in the opposite direction.

"Whaaa-"

"You've been here for ages. I don't know how many fire whiskeys you've drank, but I doubt you're going to wake up functional tomorrow."

Seamus allowed himself to be led like a lost sheep out of the bar and up the stairs to the room they had rented. He stumbled over his feet and almost threw up, but he was Irish and he held his drink better than that.

"Here, sit down," said Blaise, still holding onto Seamus tightly, keeping him upright. He loosened his partner's clothes and removed the heavy leather shoes. Once the dead weights were removed from Seamus' feet he curled up on the bed and groaned.

"Share the bed with me, Blaise," he slurred.

Blaise sat down on the other bed and pulled his own shoes off. Then, in a fit of rage that had no warning, he threw them across the room. They crashed into the wall by Seamus' head.

Seamus was too drunk to duck or flinch so he merely whimpered.

"You're a liability," hissed Blaise. "You're drunk on the job. Merlin, it's your first job!"

"Your job," mumbled Seamus. "Not mine."

"You're only here because you wouldn't stay back home. You just couldn't bear to see me go. You're worse than a girl! And I've explained over and over what this job entails, Finnigan. Over and over. I'm a bounty hunter. I take in who I've been told to take in, no questions asked. It doesn't matter whether they're a kid, or an evil dark wizard."

Seamus looked at him, his eyes wide but his vision blurred. There were- There were two Blaises. He tried to focus on one of them.

"You're scared of the kid," he said, his unfocussed eyes staring slightly to one side of his partner.

Blaise glared at him.

"That kid has the reincarnated magic of Voldermort in him," said Blaise calmy.

Seamus flinched.

"Don't say his name…"

Blaise looked at the drunken wreck with disgust.

"You're still scared of his name," he said. "And you dare to critisise my shock?"

"You knew who we were after…"

"I didn't. I only knew that we were dealing with a reincarnation case. I didn't know that it was the Dark Lord returned and I didn't know that he was working with another dark wizard!" Blaise's nostrils flared and his eyes were mere pinpricks of midnight black.

"Another..."

"Salazar Slytherin."

Blaise swept out of the room, leaving the drunk to his own devices. Seamus watched him go.

Blaise sat at the bar again in the early hours of the morning. A song was playing over the radio. He vaguely recognised it as something Seamus listened to, back in London in the flat. The warbling voice was tinny through the tiny speakers and Blaise found himself imagining that Seamus was singing, his Irish lull crooning the lyrics.

"Cause I know you'll soon discover," warbled the speakers. "You're needing me in spite of all the others."

He wasn't sure who it was. Mary Carry, or Maria Careeny, or Martha Carra or someone. It didn't matter. What did matter, however, was that Seamus was waiting for him upstairs in the room. What also mattered was the ruckus in the corner of the bar and Blaise decided that Seamus could wait for a moment longer. He made his way past a few drunk muggles to find Eddy and a tall, dark haired man in the middle of a rather violent row.

"Get out!" said Eddy, raising his voice.

The dark haired man struck him hard across the face.

"No," he said. "I have business here."

Blaise cast a furtive glance around the pub. There weren't too many muggles. A quick, discrete stunning spell would be perfect for this situation, because Blaise could smell the reek of dark magic emanating from the man in front of him.

"Stupify," he whispered, lurking a few paces behind Eddy so that Salazar (or Sally, as he was being known as) wouldn't spot him.

There was a scream as the burst of red light hit the man. Blaise spun round, hoping that none of the muggles had spotted the spell. A few of the more sober ones were looking around curiously, but no one seemed in need of a memory wipe.

"I punched him," he said to the muggles. They all hurriedly returned to their drinks, not wanting to be next on Blaise's hit list.

"Thanks for jinxing him," said Eddy, relieved. "I guess he was my enemy and not an innocent customer."

"Yeah, well he's certainly my enemy," said Blaise, eyeing the stunned man. He flicked his wand discretely and bound the man with invisible ropes. "When do the muggles leave?"

"I can get rid of them now, if you like."

"That would be great," said Blaise.

Eddy announced to the muggles that it was time to leave and Blaise watched them go. They grumbled and moaned but they left pretty quickly when they saw Blaise standing guard over the stunned body of Salazar.

"Can I use your fire?" he asked.

"Go ahead," said Eddy. "Floo, I take it?"

"Head only," Blaise replied. "I won't leave you with him." By him, he meant the body.

Hoping that Seamus was alright in the room above, Blaise pulled a tiny, mountain meadow green box from his jacket. He opened it and took a pinch of the violet powder which he promptly threw into the fire. The flames roared upwards and turned a violent shade of green.

Blaise knelt in front of the fire and thrust his head forward into the heart of it. A moment later his head was sitting in the grate of his employer's office.

A thin woman with a hooked nose and a harsh expression knelt down beside the fire.

"You have de boy?" she asked.

"Not exactly," said Blaise.

"Vat do you mean not exactly? I said come back ven you had de boy!"

The woman glared at him and adjusted her shirt collar.

"I'll have the boy in ten minutes. I have another case. A man, goes by the name of Sally?"

"Ah, you found de errant magic den? Ve thought dat ve had lost dat one."

She smiled this time and Blaise breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, do you want me to bring both of them in?" asked Blaise.

"Ov course. Now snap snap, hurry, hurry!" The woman shooed his head out of the fireplace and back into the pub.

"What are you gonna do with him?" asked Eddy, motioning to the unconscious Salazar.

Blaise strode over to him and began inspecting the body, searching for magical residue.

"It's surface magic," he said, more to himself than to Eddy. "He's another muggle."

"A muggle?" asked Eddy. "What do you want with him?"

"He's full of dark magic. It's dangerous in muggles," said Blaise matter of factly.

Eddy sighed heavily.

"Of all the whiskey joints, in all the towns, in all the world, he walks into mine," he said. "Just my luck."

Blaise patted the larger man on the shoulder, feeling awkward. Seamus would be so proud of him, he thought dryly. Too bad Seamus wasn't here to see him.

"We've got to go," he said. "Finnigan and I. We have a job to complete. Someone will be here to collect him" – he jerked his head at Salazar – "as soon as possible." Then, spotting the terrified expression on the man's face, he added "don't worry, he won't wake up."

Seamus clutched his head, his hangover beating him up as if he were in a boxing ring.

"What are we doing?" he mumbled.

"Stay there," said Blaise, touching his shoulder fondly.

Seamus watched his partner do the job he was being paid to do.

Everything went smoothly and before Seamus could blink, his partner was stood in front of him again, this time holding onto a small bundle. A bare foot was sticking out at one end.

"That the kid?" asked Seamus.

"Hush," said Blaise. "He's sleeping."

The two men hurried back to the pub to find a dull team of aurors waiting for them.

"Where's he?" asked one gruffly. The man was tall, with freckled skin and red hair.

The other auror was silent, but Seamus could tell who he was. Those green eyes and black hair were iconic. Despite the scar being hidden, Seamus could tell that the very best aurors the ministry had to offer had been sent out to Budleigh Babberton.

"Inside," said Blaise, handing Potter the boy in the blanket. "Here's the boy."

Weasley hurried inside to get Salazar and Blaise turned to Seamus.

"Time to go, partner," he said with a smirk. "You think you'll want to ever come on a job again?"

Seamus grinned.

"You bet I will," he said, so glad that they had made it through this together.

The two men turned on the spot and a sharp crack rang through the tiny village. They apparated home.

The End

AN: This was for Jenna McCoy's 'The '1000 Prompt Competition' Challenge' on the HPFC forum. My prompts were:

Beauty and the Beast

Above

Someday by Mariah Carey

Tom Riddle

'Of all the whiskey joints in all the towns, in all the world, he walks into mine'

Mountain meadow green

Blaise/Seamus

Jinx my enemy

Salazar Slytherin