Title: Crimes and Minds

Disclaimer: The characters from Harry Potter books and Criminal Minds TV series do not belong to me (I merely use them in my plot for fun).

Pairs: Harry Potter/ Aaron 'Hotch' Hotchner

Betareader: pussycatadamah


Chapter 4


Harry knew Aaron Hotchner had a difficult job as a member of the BAU team in the FBI. Some of the cases the man and his agents were asked to consult with were truly horrific and they left scars. The first time the wizard noticed this was when he took up the job. He had been informed as to the circumstances that resulted in Jack being deprived of his mother. Apparently a serial killer known as the Boston Reaper had killed Haley. Aaron had been in the site long enough to find her still warm body and confront the murderer who he killed with his bare hands. The FBI agent had then found Jack hidden away and safe from the carnage. A housekeeper before Harry had refused to work with the Hotchner's because she feared the danger caring for Jack may bring to her and another lady had feared Aaron himself. Harry had no such trouble. In fact he could easily imagine doing the same to anyone that hurt his loved ones. And in the end, he had no reason to talk; he had killed people as well. Quirrell, Riddle and those Death Eaters that he had never learned their names. His tally was up to twenty so far, so no, Harry was not going to be judging anyone anytime soon.


Hotch hated his job just as much as he loved it. Being called in the middle of the night because the NSA had a breach in their security, much like it had happened with the CIA a few years back, was not something the BAU team leader enjoyed. His team liked it even less, if their expressions were any clue. Hotch tried being quiet that time but Harry had woken up when he heard him move around the house. Hotch always had a suit ready and a bag just in case, but Harry was a really light sleeper.

There had been a knock on his door and he had beckoned the green eyed man in.

"Case?"

"Yes," Hotch had replied.

"And it could not wait till morning?" Harry asked. He was not judgmental, just a bit exasperated and sarcastic. "You know how long it's going to be?"

Aaron shook his head as he tried to tie his tie with his shirt not completely buttoned up.

"You do your cuffs and I'll tie it for you," Harry told him, taking charge.

Hotch shook his head at this but let the raven haired man do this.

"There's toast ready," the wizard added as he tied the tie. "And a cup of coffee to go."

"You are really perceptive. It's scary sometimes."

"It's part of the job."

"Being perfect?"

Harry smiled. "I'm hardly perfect. But if you want to keep thinking that..."

Hotch chuckled. "And what is that fascination with me and Jack never missing a meal?"

The green eyed wizard was not about to admit to being starved as a young boy by his relatives. The Dursley's had left their mark and Harry knew that he would never really forget. He knew it was an almost obsessive thing he did, making sure the two Hotchner men would eat properly (he was not about to turn Jack into Dudley). So he decided to point out another thing or two.

"Jack's a growing boy," Harry lectured. "And you... Well, you'd forget to eat if you had a case."

"Who said I don't eat when I'm away on a case?"

"The way you look gaunt and thinner," Harry responded. "The camera is supposed to add pounds, not take."

Hotch winced. "That bad?"

"Will you eat breakfast?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Aaron sighed. "Just don't say good boy like you're training a dog."

Harry laughed.


"... was abducted twelve hours ago from this small Texas town. The police and the FBI are in a race against time..."

Green eyes were locked on the picture of the six year old girl with the blonde locks, the toothy grin that held a single gap and made the smile more adorable and those shining brown eyes. Then he watched Jack who was playing with his blocks a few feet away from him.

"I hope they find her," he whispered to himself as he saw JJ speak to the reporters.

"Harry?"

The wizard smiled at Jack and lowered the volume of the television before walking over and taking the offered block.

"What are we building?" he asked the tyke.

"A castle."

"What are we calling it?" Harry asked.

"Castles have names?" Jack asked.

"Only the great ones."

"Mm, I don't know."

"Let's call it Hogwarts."

After six failed attempts on Jack's part to properly pronounce it the castle was christened Jack, much to Harry's amusement and the game was on.


One prominent occurrence Hotchner's job had was paperwork. Whether or not a weapon was fired by the BAU team the team leader got to fill pages upon pages of paperwork. Lately the man had had to do less explaining over every action he took (Harry suspected there was a power play at work but Hotch was not telling) but the stack of papers Aaron brought home and wrote was still large enough and took much of the man's time. Also, the green eyed wizard saw that Jack liked hiding in his father's office whenever the man worked and Hotch let him. Sometimes he pretended to write just so that he could engage Jack in this game of hide and seek more. Harry felt there was as story there but did not want to intrude.


"Harry?"

The wizard started.

It was three in the morning and Jack was up. He had dragged his favourite toy (a monkey plush toy) along and his blanket and he looked asleep on his feet but alert enough to notice that his minder was up when he should be sleeping.

"What are you doing up?" Harry demanded.

He abandoned the vigil in front of the TV screen and went to scoop the boy up in his arms. Jack immediately responded, curling into Harry's arms and yawning.

"Let's get you back to bed," the wizard decided.

"Why not sleeping?" Jack slurred.

Harry recalled Aaron's call about the lockdown. He knew something big was going on, most likely a terrorist threat. The reporters had not caught wind of it. There was nothing aired so Harry feared the situation was even more grave than Hotch implied. Still he kept his mouth shut and tended to Jack.

"I'm being silly," he told the boy as he tucked him in. "Don't worry about me. Just have sweet dreams, okay?"

But Jack was already asleep before his head hit the fluffy pillow, making Harry sigh with envy. If only sleep was as easy for him as it was for the five year old boy.


Aaron Hotchner knew that Harry, his housekeeper, worried about him. It showed in the way he looked over him, as if searching for wounds after a particularly hard day at work or when he knew that Hotch and his team had confronted their Unsub. He did not fuss, he just inquired once and then he took his word to heart and let Aaron alone. The green eyed man always made sure he had Aaron's favourite desserts on those days, like a little celebration really. It was nice knowing that someone cared enough for his wellbeing. Well, outside his team. And it showed that Harry did not just care because Aaron signed his pay check, he genuinely cared for him and his son. he valued that and in his own way made sure to keep the green eyed man informed when something particularly dangerous was at work considering that the last time he had not kept any contact with his house for ten days due to an information lockdown he returned to see Harry looking pale and worn out and physically relieved to see Aaron was well. Jack, after cajoling from his father, had revealed that Harry had not eaten much those days and barely slept. Since then Hotch made it a point to keep contact, not wanting the green eyed man to worry or get hurt in any way. Rossi had teased him about having a wife in Harry often because of the frequent calls to home. Aaron fibbed that it was because he wanted to hear Jack's voice and that alone, but Rossi just smirked and walked away, leaving Aaron to feel strangely flushed, like he had been caught with his pants down.


It was three in the morning and the phone was ringing. The phone to the house and not Aaron's work phone.

He and Harry met on the way to pick it up and stop it from ringing.

"I'll get it," Hotch said and picked up the phone.

Harry nodded and stood to the side watching as his boss's face got graver by the minute. When the man finally hung up the wizard was doing all he could to keep from asking.

"Not good," Aaron muttered.

"Case?" Harry asked. When Hotchner shook his head, the wizard felt his stomach churn.

"My ex-mother in law died," the man said. "She had a stroke while she was sleeping. It was Jessica, the funeral is supposed to be tomorrow at noon." He rubbed his eyes.

"Jessica wants you there?"

"Her father too. Not because they like me, but because they think Jack should be there."

"Do you want to go?" Harry asked.

It was a delicate subject. Out of Haley's family only Jessica did not blame Hotch for her sister's death. She knew Hotch was not to blame that a crazed killer targeted Aaron and his family. All the others chose to blame Jack's father even more than the man who killed Haley. When Aaron did not reply to the previous question Harry spoke again.

"Could you call work and tell them there's a family obligation or something?"

Hotch shrugged. "At least I don't have to search for funeral clothes."

Harry winced.

"I'll call work in the morning," Aaron said. "Would you mind if I asked you to come along? I know it really is not your problem but Jessica is going to be busy and I really don't want Jack to hear bitter rumblings against me and ..."

"Sure." Harry replied.

"Really?"

Harry nodded.

Aaron sighed. "Okay then. We better..."

"Get back to sleep," Harry finished for him. It was going to be a long day.


All the mothers at Jack's preschool were gathered together discussing something, looking worried and sick at the same time. Harry dreaded approaching them but there was no way around them.

"Good morning ladies," he told them.

That got their attention and they parted enough. The Head Mom, Clara Richards, brunette, posh and active in all school related activities held a newspaper. She was also a big gossip. The wizard tried to avoid her on principle most days unless directly confronted with her, like today. Harry barely glanced at the headline title and got a good idea about what had all the mothers in a tizzy.

"Is this true Mister Evans?" she asked.

Aaron Hotchner's face was on the paper along with the police chief of a Miami Precinct where a new serial killer had made his actions known. The press had given this guy a sensational name again, something Harry knew Hotch hated.

"What is?" the wizard politely asked.

"The Crane Killer, he kills mothers and their children?" Clara Richards asked.

The monster did not just kill them. He tortured the mother until she was a step away from death and then offered the mothers the choice. Either they killed their kids themselves or he would do it for them after he molested and tortured them and then he allowed them to take their own lives. So far all three mothers had opted to kill their kids and then themselves. Only one had not and she had been killed by this guy afterwards anyway. The monster recorded all this and fed it to the web. It was how the FBI found them.

"I have no idea," Harry told the woman.

"But Jack is Aaron Hotchner's kid, right? You live with the man."

"He's in Miami, I'm not," Harry replied. "I have no idea what goes on with that case. And I have laundry to do today, so I will leave you to it."


"Jack cannot see me like this."

It was the phrase that got to Harry every time.

Aaron was back from a case all battered up. He had his arm in a sling (pulled muscle when he had dived away from a bullet), cuts and bruises from an explosion and a broken rib from it as well. His face was a mess too, a cut over his right eyebrow and small red lines on his cheeks they would be better in a day but now they just gave him a gruff and dangerous look. The bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep were not much help either. It was not an image Aaron liked to give to his son often, especially since the last time he had been such a mess was the day Haley died. Now Jack was getting bigger and remembered more, understood more things.

"He's at a friend's," Harry replied. "When Rossi called from the hospital I made the arrangements. He will stay with Patrick until tomorrow afternoon."

"Thank you."


"What do you do in your free time?" Aaron had asked Harry once.

The question was going to be answered in a most gruesome way when Harry received a phone call one night after midnight.

Aaron had picked up the phone but then he paused and handed the receiver to Harry with an odd look on his face.

"It's for you."

Harry had been worried. Not many people he knew had this number.

"Hello?" Harry asked.

"Harry? Evans?"

He knew that voice. "Jerry? What... Where are you? What's going on?"

"Daryl is dead. He... I found his body. We and the guys did."

"What?" Harry whispered with horror. "Where are you?"

"Salome's. We just came for a quick drink. Daryl... God! He did not even want to come."

Harry pinched his nose. Salome's was a gay bar that Harry went to when he wanted to pick up someone for the night. Chris, Daryl, Jerry, Alex and Mike were a group of guys Harry had met at said bar. The green eyed wizard had slept with Daryl, the tall, dark and handsome man in the group, while Chris was a natural redhead and Jerry and the other two were blond. He had given his number to them in case of an emergency as his cell phone was still a bit iffy with his magic (mobile phones and magic still did not mix despite the runes on Harry). He was likely to find many missed calls on his cell phone.

"I can be there in twenty minutes."

"No! Harry! You don't have to come here in the middle of the night."

"Like I said, I'll be there," Harry stated and hung up. He turned to Aaron. "Sorry, but a friend just called, Jerry. A mutual friend of ours was just found dead. Would you mind...?"

"God no! Go there; be there for your friends. I just have no idea if you are going to be any help."

"More like a shoulder to cry on," Harry sighed, still shaken. It had not sunk in yet that Daryl was dead. "I better get dressed."

Aaron watched Harry walk off feeling worried and a bit unsettled. There was something nagging at the edge of his mind. He dismissed it and decided to just go back to bed and talk with Harry in the morning.

Come morning he woke up to find Harry just getting back home. He looked pale and he was shivering from the lack of sleep and the chilly weather.

"Harry?"

"Aaron?"

"Come in. I made coffee. Jack's not due to wake up for another hour."

Harry nodded. He had blood on his jacket. "I need to change."

"That blood..."

"Not mine. Jerry found Daryl and he ..."

"There's hot water."

"Thank you."

Ten minutes later Harry was dressed in clean clothes and looked far better than before. He accepted the coffee Aaron had out for him and when the man pushed a sandwich his way Harry's lips quirked.

"I learned from the master," Hotch told the wizard. "You can eat and talk."

Harry sipped the coffee with a sigh.

"Thank you," he told Aaron. He also took a couple of bites from the sandwich before he had enough energy to speak about the night he had. "I told you a friend of mine died, right?"

Aaron nodded.

"From what I learned from the police when I got there, he was stabbed repeatedly in the stomach and chest. Daryl was already dead when Jerry found him. The other guys who were inside the bar sent Jerry out. Daryl did that a lot, going out for a smoke." Harry sipped some more coffee. "They were all a mess when I got there. I had to drive us all to the station and I had to id Daryl as they were all in shock. No one could just go sleep so I drove us all to Chris' place and we stayed there till now. They fell asleep due to exhaustion really."

"Do they know who did it? Or why?"

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. He was not robbed. He did not have any lover spats lately. The only reason I can think... hate crime."

Hotch frowned. "What do you mean?"

The wizard sighed. "The name Salome's really doesn't ring any bells?"

Aaron shook his head.

"It's a gay bar, Daryl, Jerry, Chris, Alex and Mike are all gay."

The 'me too' went unsaid by Harry but the way Aaron's eyes went wide made it known to the wizard that the FBI agent got the message.

"Will that be a problem?" the green eyed man asked.

"No," Hotch stated. "It is not and it will not be."

"Okay."

Harry went back to sipping his coffee.

"When is the funeral?" Aaron asked.

"The day after tomorrow."

"You can have that day off then."

"Thank you...I... Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Hotch replied.

Harry nodded.


JJ looked grim when she entered the office exactly two weeks after Harry's friend Daryl was killed.

The BAU team was already seated around the oval table and waited for the case she was bringing them.

"This came from the local police just yesterday. For the past year there have been murders of homosexual men and women all over Quantico, Virginia. So far there had been fifteen victims, then three during the last month," JJ said and soon she had distributed the case files and started the projection of images. "The last victim was Daryl Ferguson, a sea cargo broker, openly gay. He was stabbed repeatedly..."

Aaron felt his stomach jump to his throat as the image of a very handsome man appeared on the screen. Even in death he was handsome. Then JJ's clues connected with what he knew about Harry's Daryl.

"When was this murder?" Rossi asked.

"Two weeks ago, outside Salome's," Aaron said without having read the file, something his team noticed.

"How did you know?" Spencer asked.

It would come out sooner or later, better the team knew sooner.

"Because Harry went to Daryl's funeral a week ago. They knew each other," Hotch said. "Are we taking this case?"

JJ nodded. "The police are expecting us."

"We better get to the cars then," Hotch replied.


End of chapter.