A.N Thank you for everyone who have been reading my stories so far and a special thanks to those who have reviewed. I really appreciate your opinion and encouragement as it boosts my self-confidence and abilities as a new writer :) I can't help that feel that I was too hasty with getting the last chapter out and decided to slow the pace a little and describe the environment and people more. Please let me know if you feel this is too slow so I can find a good balance between action and inaction. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy the new chapter!
This is a work of fanfiction that uses characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling and from the Anita Blake world created by L. K. Hamilton. All characters belong to their respective authors as stated above and I claim no ownership over them or the 'world' that is stated in the authors books. The story and situation I am creating is my imagination and I do not ascribe them to either authors official story cannon. This work is only intended for entertainment outside of official story line and I am not profiting financially in any way from the creation and publication of this story. I am so grateful to both L. K. Hamilton and J. K. Rowling, whose stories have inspired and inflamed the imagination of so may people including myself. For without their work, mine would not exist. I highly recommend buying their books!
Chapter Three
Even though Anita had said they were almost there, it was by his estimates nearly a 10 minutes walk. Well a careful, ten minutes walk for him. Jason and Anita seemed to have the knack for traveling down the oddly spaced stairs down pat. Whereas his bumbling attempts to walk smoothly down the stairs kept warring with his growing embarrassment by trying not to look at the pale flesh exposed to him and causing him to stumble. Anita had given up the pretense and had chuckled at his clumsy attempts several times. And it was all the more embarrassing by the echos her amusement that caused Jason to sway more provocatively and therefore causing the chain reaction.
It wasn't the strange stumbling procession that was the three of them slowly going down the dark winding stairs of the Circus that gave him the most discomfort. No, it was the feeling of heavy stone above his head and the strange currents of magic he could sense coming from below. Strangely enough, the farther they traveled down the feeling seemed to descend at the same speed so meeting it would be impossible. Everytime he felt that he pinpointed the feeling it seemed to evade his 'touch' and appear a little out of his focus. It was as if as he detected the feeling it could also detect him. Was it something alive or an echo of what had once been?
It was the thought that maybe the vampires were the least of the dangers deep under the Circus that stopped him still. His foot still resting just above the next step before he slowly stepped both feet down the the next step and looked at his feet. His feet were not large for his size but were surely bigger than both of his escorts. However, even standing in the middle of this 'step' his feet did not touch the edge.
Looking back he studied the steps the wound upwards and traced the shape of the stairs and noticed something he had missed coming down the steps. Perhaps he would never had noticed until he was coming back up to the surface. He could see the stairs and the corner about sixty feet upwards where the stone platform was coming from the wall where they had stopped several minutes before.
The stairs itself were uneven slabs, but each step were at least three feet across where you would step and varying sizes of heights. All had a dip in the middle as if thousands of people had walked these stairs over the centuries. High on the wall was the artificial lights that he could clearly see had been installed onto the stone wall with the wires running between each light. But just below the lights at about six or seven feet there were gouges on the wall that the shadows cast from the uneven surface of the stone had concealed. Looking upwards there was nothing but blackness but with how steep the steps were, it had to be at least fifteen or twenty feet between steps and roof.
If he was a creature of about twelve feet high he could squeeze up these stairs by using the extra space width of the steps and by holding onto the walls. The large platforms at every turn would help in maneuvering the bulk of the large body around the corner and allow for ambushes of enemies that are unable to squeeze past but allowed just enough room to swing talons. Perhaps the Circus belongs to the vampires now, but what had been here first?
"Care to share what's bothering you?" Anita was studying him as he had been the steps. Her dark eyes were narrow and assessing. Arms folded across her stomach and wide-planted feet may be taken as an expression of stubbornness if the tight leather pants show the blades on her thighs and the gun on her hip to perfection. Somehow he didn't doubt that she use them on him at the slightest sign of aggression and her stance both balanced her and put the majority of her weapons in her reach. Well. The weapons he could see anyway. Somehow it felt different looking at her outfit than Jason's, all shyness aside. Jason's outfit, although racy, was more of a show than anything. The way Anita wore hers felt like more of a battle suit than a show of her body. The black leather boots and pants with the black and red silk corset reminded him of a spider that shows its colors to indicate its danger. A kind of warning that said 'I am able to kill you so stay away'.
He carefully gazed at her face and felt like he was being cornered by too many dangers. The underground 'things', the vampires that were waiting and the woman he had allowed to walk behind him.
"I'm just wondering what could have made these steps. I think any human would have made them smaller and vampires have never struck me as architects." Well, in for a penny in for a pound. He hadn't run into to much trouble so far so might as well continue on as he has. It may even get him some answers. He could not sense the strangeness from underneath him anymore. Perhaps it was vampire magic? He had never met a vampire before. But to evade his grasp like that..
"It's been mentioned before but the vampires moved in when it was already vacant so we'll probably never know. The warehouse was built before they discovered the chambers underneath it. The vampires merely removed the floor and the stones blocking the entrance."
She didn't seem very perturbed by this but perhaps she was use to the idea of entering an underground cavern that had been blocked. Maybe to keep something inside?
"Come on people, we can chat after we get to the office. Can't you tell he's getting restless?" Jason's voice was several steps below us and the last comment didn't seem to be directed at me. When I glanced back he had a serious look on his face and was gazing at Anita behind me.
"You know I block all I can. Besides he left me waiting an hour last night so it's his turn to wait for us now." Even to her it must have sounded curlish because she blushed and glared at him.
"Come on, let's keep moving. We're almost there now."
She had said that before but he didn't want to start a fight with her so he turned and started after Jason again. This time, without a stumble as he was still trying to detect anything from below. This time from the vampires waiting. If they could both tell the Master was waiting then he must have missed something earlier. But he could detect nothing at all this time. Just a cold darkness of the stone and emptiness of what must have been many rooms and turns in the caverns. Some were in uniform rows while others were oddly distributed and varying sizes. The different between rooms and natural caverns he supposed.
Sure enough they were at the bottom of the stairs that opened into a large cavern with three branching corridors of similar shape. The lighting from the stairs ran out along the walls on either side of him and into the two farthest before additional wires arched over the entrances and into the middle corridor. It was down this that Jason led them and past large wooden doors placed unevenly on either side of the walls.
He knocked on a door that looked the same as every other they had passed and after a moment turned and asked Anita to go it first. She huffed but walked around him and opened the door and entered. After a few moments Jason turned as gestured for him to go in ahead of him.
Taking a deep breath he straightened his posture and entered before he could have a sudden attack of nerves. The first thing that he noticed was the blaze of color that stopped him in the doorway. It was a shock to leave the bare stone hallway to enter a room that would be the pride of any professionally decorated home.
Thick white carpet blended into the silver drapes covering the stone walls and acted as a backdrop to the furniture. Each piece looked like an antique and was Victorian in style if not the real thing. Along the left wall was a large bookcase filled with leather-covered books of all color and sizes. Directly to his right and opposite the bookcase was a large couch with red brocade backing with several pure white cushions with gold tassels arranged artfully. Next to the couch was two high-back chairs done in the same style with a small glass-top table separating them. All the furniture was mahogany with intricate carvings running along all the visible wood. Interspersed throughout the room were large and small potted plants that must have been fake, as they were too green to be alive in such a room devoid of natural light.
Directly in front of him was a large fire-place that dominated the end of the room and over which was hung a large painting of a Victorian garden, where ladies and men where walking and conversing in their elaborate clothes and powdered wigs. Movement drew his gaze to the far left corner of the room, next to the end of the bookcase where two people became the focus of his attention.
Sitting together on a gold and white silver chaise lounge was Anita and one of the most beautiful men he'd ever seen. His hair was similar in length and color to Anita's hair but was full of gentle waves and not Anita's riotous curls. Two sapphire eyes were outlined with amazing long, dark lashes and his face was pale and beautifully proportioned with high cheekbones and an angular jaw line. His looks were almost effeminate in its loveliness but something about the lines of his face was masculine and could not be mistaken as anything else but male. While Anita's clothes looked out of place in this room, Jean-Claude's clothes were almost a perfect match for the men in the painting. Save, of course, for the pure Victorian make-up and powdered wig and heavy brocade coat. His pants were tight, dark, and tucked into knee-high buckled boots. The shirt was a brilliant blue and ruffled at the wrists and collar which was left open to expose his pale skin.
A gentle nudge to his shoulder from behind made him jump in surprise. He'd forgotten that Jason was waiting behind him. A few quick steps into the room and he paused; not quite sure what the etiquette was to meeting vampires. Vampires in England may have been made legal citizens in the muggle world after the war ended but in the wizarding world it was seen as foolishness. You do not let predators that can control your mind become citizens. They were not welcome in wizard society any more than they were a thousand years ago.
As before he was left floundering and decided common courtesy was the best approach. Taking another deep breath he smiled at the unknown man and introduced himself.
"My name is Harry Potter, it's nice to meet you sir." It would seem silly to hold him hand out to a man more than five feet away from him, so he kept them tucked behind his back and continued to smile.
The vampire slithered, there was no other word for the action, off his seat and walked to within a foot of him. He walked even more smoothly than Arnao had and would bet that this vampire was even faster than his would-been attacker had been. But he smiled without revealing his fangs and held out a pale hand to he shook as briefly as manners dictated. That pale hand had been surprisingly warm with the feel of delicate bones that was a lie to his strength.
"I am the Master of St Louis, but please, call me Jean-Claude." That slight smile was still to his lips and even though his mouth had been moving; he hadn't caught more than a quick glimpse of white teeth. Too fast to tell what his fangs looked like. He had an odd urge to ask to see them but wasn't feeling that brave at the moment. Jean-Claude was a few inches taller than himself and looking up into that face from so close was a little uncomfortable.
Jean-Claude must have sensed his uneasiness because he gestured to the two chairs behind Harry and invited him to sit so they may have a tête-à-tête. It wasn't hard to tell that he was french even before using his language as his accent had that tell-tale lilt to it, though he spoke seemingly fluent english.
Harry chose the seat farthest into the room as Jason was lounging across the couch near the exit. Even as friendly as Jason was, he was sure that putting himself in a situation where he was literally surrounded by people he did not know would be a mistake.
"Monsieur Potter, thank you for coming so quickly at my summons. I was told by Arnao that you were unaware of the rules governing a vampires territory." Jean-Claude settle himself into the remaining chair and turned towards Harry and crossed his legs.
"Umm, why exactly do I need to get your permission to be here?" Maybe getting to the root of the problem immediately was rude but he wanted to leave this building and go home. He'd been in the middle of renovating his two story house when Arnao had knocked on the front door.
Jean-Claude studied him silently for a few minutes and he had to tell himself not to squirm under the gaze of two intense sets of eyes and one curious. He didn't look in Anita's direction. It was all he could do to hold Jean-Claude's gaze without blinking. He wasn't sure as to what his expression was revealing but whatever it was Jean-Claude seemed satisfied and continued as if he hadn't said anything.
"We have had several unfortunate incidents lately from 'visitors' to the city in the last few years. This has-" he paused and seemed to think for a moment. "-encouraged us to change the rules somewhat. Those who are powerful must first be screened before being accepted within the preternatural community here. Otherwise when you use magic you would have people show up on your door 'armed to the teeth' as ma petite likes to quote." A quick glance at Anita showed her expression as emotionless as Jean-Claude's but there was a slight glint in those dark eyes that reminded him of Hermione's eyes when lecturing Ron. But what he said just struck Harry as odd.
"How do you know I have magic?" His dampening spell had been in place since he left the American Ministry in St. Augustine, Florida and caught a plane to St Louis. How, then, could they have detected me before I even entered the city? Did something interfere with his work and force the spells to wear off quicker than normal?
"Let us just say that we knew when you came to our fair city, oui?" That smile was still in place but those stunning eyes had a cunning edge to them. It reminded him of Lucius Malfoy when he was speaking to the Minister of Magic. Flawlessly polite but the eyes were snakelike and he began to feel that unless he was very careful he may end up doing things he does not wish to do.
"What do you want?" Wrong thing to say. Those eyes were triumphant now.
Anita spoke for the first time since entering the room. "Why can't we sense your magic now? You almost feel like a null." Her eyes were no less calculating than the Master vampire but he felt more in danger of Anita than he could explain was just a feeling, an aura of danger.
"What's a null?" So, vampires could sense magic and so could this woman. Who was she and what kind of magic did she have? He knew there was no way she was a witch otherwise she would have recognized his name. Unless she was playing along for the sake of the Privacy Act. Was that what her silent stares had been about?
"Someone who has no magic at all. Arnao called Jean-Claude before the drive here. He said he could sense your magic in your house but not when you left. Why not?"
He almost said, 'You mean a Muggle' before he stopped himself. It wouldn't be a smart idea to expose himself in any way. Now was the time when to tread very carefully. Anything he said here would be remembered and without knowing what they could or could not sense from him it was wise to keep things vague and simple.
"Umm. Well. I guess it's because I'm shielding my magic from you. I don't like to walk around without covering it. It's a habit."
"How interesting Monsieur Potter. Tell me, how do you do such a thing?" His eyes were quite beautiful but it was unnerving how intensely he was staring. Maybe it was a french thing? Arnao hadn't stared at him like that. It was almost as if he were waiting for some response; like Anita had on the stairway. He felt out of his depth and he found himself just staring into Jean-Claude's eyes, trying to find some clue as what to say. "How powerful are you Mr Potter and why hide your powers so thoroughly?"
Harry blinked. "I told you already. It's just a habit I have. Kinda makes me self-conscious and I end up feeling things I don't want to feel." Hah. I'm not even lying about it. Although he still felt magic when he had the dampening spells on him, it wasn't near so bad as without them. But it was a two-way knife. The spells cut him off from sensing most magic just as they could detect only a tiny part of his magic. But so far the pros far outweighed the cons.
"It's a spell that covers the magic I have within me. I was taught by a mentor I had back in England when I was younger." Hopefully they would not ask him again how powerful he is and what magic he is able to do. How to explain that after absorbing the rest of Voldemort's powers he was the most powerful wizard in Europe. No one knew that he blocked that part of himself that holds Voldemort's powers. After that night he never really looked closely at himself. Just cover it up and keep going. And without using it he was just as powerful as others like McGonagal, Remus, Snape and Moody.
Unless it was the only thing standing between him and death, he would never use all his magic. Not knowing how powerful he is would mean absolute destruction. Too much magic in a spell would likely cause an explosion or the backlash or the spell could effect the wizard. The more powerful the wizard the worse the possible consequences.
And as long as he continued to use his magic every day for as much as he could he would not be affected by dampening his magic. Every witch and wizard must use their magic. That's why accidental magic happened. And the more powerful you were then the more your magic would act on its own until it could begin to be used consciously. At the moment, the renovation and spellwork on his house was taking the brunt of his effort but perhaps that's where he went wrong. Maybe they sensed him working in the house. He had put spells around the house when he arrived so he couldn't be detected but by casting them he had probably revealed himself to them. It would also explain how they knew where he lived and that he had more magic than he was showing them.
"Monsieur Potter, are you well?" Jean-Claude was leaning over the table between their chairs which put their faces closer together. He had to stop zoning out like that, it was dangerous. He leaned away slightly and Jean-Claude mimicked him and settled back as well.
"Umm, yes, I'm still rather tired from moving in and I'm doing some renovating at the moment as well. Uh. Did you ask me a question when I wasn't listening?" He was starting to feel tired. Getting up early every day since his arrival and casting protection, detection and creating wizard space within the house left him feeling pleasantly drained each day. And he had gotten up early this morning to complete the second floor and had only finished the hour before being called here.
"I asked if we may see you without this shield of yours? To help us determine if you are suitable for St Louis, of course. You do wish to stay here don't you?"
"Are you saying I can't stay without your approval?" This was the crux of the matter. He didn't want to leave after all the work he had done to the house. Unless he made it undetectable he'd have to strip the house of magic before he left the city. That meant just as much work as putting the spells on the house.
"Non, you can stay without my permission but it would be difficult for you to have any contacts here if you are not trusted by those in power here. Do you comprehend Monsieur Potter?"
Oh yes, he understood. If he refused than they would be suspicious of him and that would cause a chain reaction in the city. Things would be made difficult for him. Things that would not be traced back to the vampire before him. On the other hand he could take off the extra layers of spells he put on before leaving the house and let them assume that was how powerful he is.
"Please call me Harry." All this monsieur business was making him feel a bit of a heel.
"Harry." The way he said it was almost a low purr and it made his face as red as when he saw Jason walking in front of him down those stairs. It almost made him want to take it back and make him start addressing him as monsieur again. But to do that would be childish and would seem as if he was uncomfortable being called his first name though he had just given permission for it to be used.
"Ok, I'll take the spell off so you can sense my magic." He looked at Jean-Claude to gauge his reaction but his face showed nothing but Anita's face was surprised until she smoothed it when she caught his gaze.
So they didn't think he would agree so easily or at all? Maybe that wanted an excuse to distrust him so that they can spy on him. Constant vigilance, indeed.
He took down two of the five dampening spells on him silent and wandlessly and the reaction was immediate. Anita was on her feet and Jean-Claude's eyes turned solid sparkling blue, with the whites completely gone. Suddenly he didn't feel near as sure of himself as he should.
He couldn't help but stare at the vampire. His skin was as white as snow and made his features even more alluring. He could now feel a cold hand touching him. It was the vampires powers and was a little unnerving. He could also feel that coldness like a thread out behind him to where Anita was still and off through the walls. Hundreds and hundred of them. It was like the Master was a spider and all those here were caught in a web of his power.
Struck with a sudden fear he cast the spells again and watched with wide eyes as the vampire returned to the state he was in a few minutes ago. Lovely but not otherworldly. Anita was standing with her feet apart and her gun in her hand, though thankfully, not pointed in his direction. Instead she had it pointed at the ground but her face was tight with suspicion and weariness. As if she was alarmed but tired of being in such a state. That didn't bode well for him. She may just decide to shoot him and be done with it. It was time to be perfectly clear.
"I want you to know I chose St Louis because of it's dense population of magic. I can use magic here without people automatically panicking. It's not like that in England. For the most part it is not accepted by.. nulls. I just want to be myself. I just want to be Harry. I can promise you now that I don't intend on causing any trouble, though it does follow me around like the plague. And I don't intend on hurting anyone or breaking any laws. What else can I say to convince you of my good intentions?"
Anita's face was back to that perfect blankness and Jean-Claude was watching him like he was interesting. That was not what he wanted but considering how their 'meeting' was going it could have been far worse. Anita was still holding her gun but her body had relaxed.
"I believe you Harry but I would still like to know more about you. Perhaps when you settle in I can take you to dinner?" His face and expression were bland but Harry felt his face heating up all the same. He remembered that intense look from before.
"Umm. I'm flattered, I really am. But I don't think I want to go on a date with you all the same. Sorry." Egh. Why hadn't he gotten any better with these kind of conversations. He had been chased almost incessantly since he graduated Hogwarts. Even after his marriage the offers hadn't stopped.
Jean-Claude's head tilted back and he began to laugh. Not the quiet chuckles Anita had done earlier but full laughter as if he couldn't really help himself. Anita's face was too blank to be believed and when he looked behind him at the silent Jason he saw him curled on his side with a cushion pressed to his face and his body was shaking.
"Ah, it has been a while since I have laughed like that. You are most amusing monsieur."
"So glad I can amuse you." Even to his own ears his voice sounded grumpy. "What did you mean then?"
"Merely what I said. I can introduce you to others that can help you if you need it. Myself and Anita are connect to almost everyone in this city. We can becomes friends. Harry."
I guess he wasn't flirting with me, then.
"That sounds good. How about next week sometime?" Thank Merlin his blush was receding. It wasn't as if he particularly wanted to become friends with vampires or know everyone in the city. But it sure beat not knowing what was going on or learning the hard way. And he had a feeling that the learning curve would be steep. Besides, they're said to be many shapeshifters in St Louis. What would he do when he had to meet one of them? Would they be like Remus? What about the humans when the moon was full. Did they all lock themselves up to prevent themselves from killing innocent people?
"Very well. Jason can escort you out and I'll get someone to drive you home. You look quite exhausted. You should not over tire yourself, Harry."
A wave of relief almost overpowered Harry. That was it, he had done it. He'd survived without being discovered and making them suspicious of him. All he had to do what get home and then he could rest. he'd have a whole week before he had to see any of them again. It was hard being so cautious but that was the price to be paid for living away from wizarding society.
"Ok, thanks. Umm. I mean , it was a pleasure meeting you Jean-Claude. And you too Anita."
Jean-Claude shook his hand again and he was relieved not to feel that chill power through the touch. Anita nodded but did not offer her hand to shake. Though she had put away her gun at some point and he was supremely grateful for that fact.
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Harry Potter."
A soft touch to his shoulder and Jason was peering at him in question. "Did you want to look around the Circus or do you want me to walk you to the car? I can take you around if you want."
He was curious about the Circus but he'd had enough excitement for one night.
"I'll take a rain check on that offer. I was curious but I'm rather tired now. I'd like to go straight home."
"No problem. We can exchange mobile numbers and when you've got a spare day I can show you 'round the city."
They left the room without looking back and it was a testament to how tired he was that he followed Jason through the corridors and up the stairs with little problems.
"I don't have a mobile yet. But if you give me your number I can call you in a day or so."
He'd have to buy one tomorrow and try to get someone to show him how to use it before then. Maybe he could firecall Hermione. She used one to keep in touch with her parents, he knew.
"You don't have a mobile? How can you not have a mobile?" Jason's voice was more curious than puzzled but Harry realized it was odd for him not to have one.
"Umm. I guess I just didn't have much of a need for it before today." What a silly thing to get caught on after all he'd evaded tonight.
"Well I guess there are people like that even these days. Hey. You want me to teach you how to use one?" They were approaching the giant metal door that would lead them to the ground floor of the Circus.
"I don't know.." That would mean having to meet him in the next few days. He had a feeling Jason was more sharp than he was banging on to be. After all, you couldn't survive around vampires with being really smart.
"Oh, come on. If I can teach Jean-Claude how to use a mobile I can teach you easy!" It was hard to argue with such a cheerful person. And he did need the help.
"Ok. Thanks, Jason." It was strange how suddenly shy he felt.
They were walking through the circus at this point and Jason stopped by a booth and spoke to the man working there who gave him a flyer and a pen from his pocket. Jason wrote something on the back of the flyer and said something that made the man laugh and returned his pen. Jason gave the flyer to him and he saw that a mobile number was on the back along with an address.
"What's the address?" He folded it and slipped it into his pocket.
"It's my workplace, just in case you can't get through to me on my phone. It's owned by Jean-Claude if you're wondering."
He wasn't really but it felt rude to say that when Jason was being so kind to him.
"Is that why you were here tonight? Because you work for him?" A strange look passed over Jason's face that he couldn't quite decipher.
"Something like that. Here we are. Jean-Claude already told the driver where to take you. Good night, Harry."
Something felt a little stilted about their goodbye. Like he had disappointed Jason in some way but he didn't know what was wrong.
"Jason!" When Jason turned back his face was friendly, but he hadn't been wrong. His sky blue eyes looked a little sad.
"Thank you. Is it ok if I ask you to be my friend." It felt awkward to be asking but the look on Jason's face made it worth it.
"I'd like that, Harry." Jason smiled.
"Good night, Jason."
"Good night, Harry." Jason waved and and walked back towards the entrance of the Circus.
"Mr Potter?" The chauffeur had opened the back door of the limousine and was waiting for him to enter.
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
It had felt like hours since he had left his house and he slid into the car gratefully; letting the driver shut the door behind him.
As the chauffeur started the car and began to drive from the Circus parking lot; Harry leant his head against the cool window pane and closed his eyes.
He had been attacked, saved, met the Master of the City and made a friend. All in all it went rather well. Perhaps he's going to like america more than he first thought.
