Harry stood leaning against the bar, arm slung back and a bottle of beer clutched loosely in his hand. He took a pull of his drink and went back to his observations. It was a quiet night in the bar and Harry was being highly entertained by what was happening in front of him.

It had been about two weeks since Harry had gone and picked Hermione up from the airport and they hadn't done any kind of hunting. Harry had insisted that they act like normal tourists and do 'tourist-y' things. Harry was only just satisfied that his sister was feeling better after her time in England and was ready to do some Hunting again. Harry had found an article in the newspaper about the murder of couples that seemed promising. They were going to leave for Chicago in the morning. It should only take a few hours because they weren't that far away (part of the reason that Harry chose the Hunt) and Harry could feel his excitement building. Hermione sometimes said it worried her how much he liked to Hunt and destroy evil.

The thought of his sister brought Harry out of his musings and once again looked up at the amusing sight in front of him. Hermione was sat at a table with a near-empty martini glass in front of her, talking avidly to a man who had wandered over. Harry had noticed him approaching them and made himself scarce by going to get them fresh drinks. As far as he could tell, the man appeared to be some kind of nerd. Giving the man the once over, Harry did admit that he was cute, in a geeky sort of way. He was probably an accountant or something along those lines.

There was a simple problem in that Hermione seemed to have no idea that the man was trying to flirt with her. Sure, he was doing it in an awkward, shy kind of way – but anyone could tell that he was trying hard. Hermione didn't even seem to notice that the man was acting like a schoolboy with his first crush. Harry knew that Hermione wasn't like the Gryffindor Bookworm that she once was. War changes people and they had both matured to the point where relationships and sex wasn't embarrassing for them anymore. But Harry had no idea why Hermione wasn't responding to the decent and endearing man virtually throwing himself at her.

Harry could only come up with one explanation. And that explanation was a ridiculously tall Hunter with shaggy hair and big girly eyes. Sighing, Harry finished his drink with another pull and indicated to the barman that he wanted another. The Winchesters – the current ultimate bane of Harry's life. They sure as hell came with a damn lot of baggage. But none of that mattered. What mattered was his sister's happiness and if the youngest Winchester was the key to that happiness, then he would willingly accept that. A sudden idea sparked to life in his head and a smirk graced his elegant features. Oh, this was going to be fun.

Getting the drinks he had promised Hermione, Harry made his way back to their table, his mind still half focused on his plan. Gently placing the drink in front of her, Harry slipped into his seat and looked over at the man across from him. He had nothing against him, but he was really funny to watch and Harry was going to enjoy winding him up.

Placing his arm around Hermione so that his hand rested casually in the small of her back, Harry gave the man a seductive smile. "Hello, my name is Harry. I see that you have already had time to get acquainted with Hermione. You two looked very…..cosy."

Harry watched in silent amusement as the man looked flustered. "Erm, yeah – I mean, I was just – err….."

Hermione gave Harry a small frown. "We were talking about Taylor's job – he is an accountant." Harry gave the man a blatant once over, all the while thinking about how right he was. Accountant, Harry thought amused.

"Well, Taylor." Harry made sure he purred the man name sensually. He could see the man swallow nervously and Harry had to clamp down hard on the laugh that threatened to escape from him. "Seeing as we all know each other now, why don't you join us? We were just about to head back to our hotel."

Taylor's eyes widened a ridiculous amount and he was gaping so much that Harry was afraid he was about faint. "With you both?" Harry winced slightly as Taylor's voice rose by quite a few octaves. "Erm…..well, look at the time! I have work tomorrow, so I better get going! Thanks for the…..interesting conversation."

Harry watched the man literally run away from their table and took a swig of his drink. Turning, he saw that Hermione was glaring at him. "What?" Harry asked defensively. "I was only joking! He can't be much fun if he can't understand the concept of a joke."

"He was nice Harry. We had a very stimulating conversation."

Harry shook his head in amusement. God, Hermione must have it bad for Sam if she was that blind. "I don't think it was conversation that he wanted to be stimulating Hermione." Harry stared at his sister when she looked confused. "My God, he was flirting with you! I swear he was literally about to throw himself at your feet and begin worshipping you." Harry couldn't help himself as laughter just poured out of him. "You really didn't notice?"

"No…I mean, he was fairly good looking but I guess…I just wasn't interested in him." Hermione was beginning to look defensive, so Harry just held up his hands in surrender.

"Ok. I'll leave it alone." Harry finished his drink in one final swig. "So, are you ready to go? We are going on that Hunt tomorrow. It's gonna be great!"


"Dude, seriously. Turn it down."

Dean fiddled with the radio and turned the music up instead of down. Chucking to himself, he glanced at his brother who was giving him his patented 'bitch face'. Shaking his head, he put his foot down on the accelerator and urged his baby to go faster. As the next song blared out of the radio, Dean couldn't help but sing noisily as loud as possible, partly to just piss Sammy off.

Sam smiled at his brother's antics, although he would never let Dean see the grin that graced his features. Dean could be so annoying when it came to playing music in his car. Sam didn't like the type of music, how loud it was or the fact that Dean sang along very much off-key. He could swear his brother was tone-deaf. Sam was pulled out of his thoughts by his phone ringing and he quickly managed to turn the radio off before Dean could intercept his hand. Ignoring Dean's protests, he checked the caller display on his phone.

"Dude, would you shut up? I couldn't hear myself think, let alone someone on the other end of a phone." Sam returned his brother's glare. "Besides, it is Ezekiel. It could be important."

Dean felt himself go stiff at the mention of the angel's name and kept his eyes firmly on the road. His subtly listened as Sam answered his phone. "Hey. Yeah. No, of course not. Sure, a couple of hours. Ok. Give me the address."

The call was short and sweet and Sam hung up within less than a minute. Glancing at his brother, he saw juts how tense he had become. He really needed to do something about this or at least talk to his older brother. "So, he wanted some help on a hunt. I told he would do it and we are only an hour or two away."

"Sure. Fine. We can help out." Dean forced himself to relax. He was being ridiculous. "Where are we heading?"

"East, to Chicago. He gave me the room number and which hotel he was staying at." Sam watched as his brother forced himself to relax and decided that he was definitely going to talk to him. "Next diner you see, we should stop and grab something to eat. It's been hours since breakfast."

Half an hour later, they were pulling into a generic diner and slipping into a booth. Sam watched as his brother thanked the waitress without even acknowledging that she was young and pretty. Deciding that being forward was best, Sam steeled himself for this conversation.

"Dean, I really want to talk to you." Dean looked up and raised an eyebrow at him. "It is about Ezekiel, or Harry – or whatever we are supposed to call him." Sam watched as his brother clenched his fist subconsciously.

"We are not having this conversation Sammy."

"To hell we aren't." Sam slammed his fist down on the table, causing his brother to look at him in surprise. "I want to know why you don't deserve happiness."

Dean glared at his brother, but he could see the resolve in Sammy's eyes and knew there was no escaping this conversation. He might as well get it over with as fast as possible. "Sam, what do you think is going to happen? He is an angel, for God's sake. A high ranking one! Why would he even consider me?"

"Dean, you know as well as I do that he isn't like the other angels. Maybe it is like he said – he has been on Earth longer than them, so he knows more about humans. And it isn't like he follows the rules. You know how he acts."

"Yeah, he is acting all angelic recently. I guess he got a dressing down for being 'too human' or some crap like that." Dean muttered.

"Dean, it is hurting you. I hate seeing you like this. I mean, I have never seen you like this with anyone, ever!"

Dean rubbed his hands together nervously. "I have never felt this way about anyone before. I mean, I know that I really liked Cassie, but this is just so much more intense." Dean looked up, and Sam could see the confusion in gaze. "I have never thought of another guy like this before. I have always liked women."

"Dean. It doesn't matter if he is male or female. It is about what you feel about the person. Gender shouldn't matter."

"I know. But that is the problem." Dean could see Sammy's confused expression. "I've gotten over my shock of the whole male thing. But Ezekiel isn't a person – he is an angel. And I can't help but look at him and think about his vessel."

"What about it?" Sam was really confused. "We know that angels need permission, and Ezekiel doesn't seem like the kind of person to trick someone into it."

"I know that. But how could I do anything, knowing that there is a person inside – trapped and unable to do anything or protest? I mean he could be married and have kids!"

Sam shifted in his seat. He had never thought about it before, but he could see Dean's point. There was a person inside an angel's vessel who got no say in what the angel did or said. He knew Dean would never do anything whilst there was still a person inside. And it wasn't like the angel could go and find someone who was brain dead and essentially an empty body. Angels needed permission to enter a body, and you can't get that from a body with no one inside.

Sam looked down at his half finished meal. He actually regretted this conversation now. He felt sadness that his brother had finally found someone who he really liked, but couldn't do anything because they were essentially bodysnatching.


"Harry, why are we waiting here? We should just get on with the Hunt."

Harry stopped pacing his room and looked at Hermione, who was perched on the edge of the sofa. He had called the Winchesters a few hours ago and the sun was just setting outside. Harry hadn't told Hermione that the Winchesters were about to arrive any minute now. Biting the bullet, he decided to tell her now before they did turn up.

"Hermione." Harry took a breath. "I called the Winchesters and asked them if they could help us out on this Hunt."

"Why?" Hermione was eying her brother in confusion. "We know that it is vampires, we know where their little club is and we know how to kill them."

Harry rubbed his hand over his chin. "I know. But there is no 'we' in this Hunt Hermione. You aren't coming." Harry looked away from his sister, who had stilled. "I know that you seem to be ok after your time in England, but this Hunt could get bloody fast."

"You think I can't handle it?" Hermione virtually hissed.

Harry shook his head and let his hands rest on her shoulders. "I know you can handle it. I'm worried about myself." Harry sat next to Hermione and put his arm around her shoulder. "This Hunt could turn deadly at the drop of a hat. Seeing you in England so upset – I just need time to squash the overprotective streak that appears."

Hermione relaxed into Harry's embrace. "I get it Harry – honestly I do. I feel the same when I think about you. I understand that you feel that you need to protect me. But," Hermione's expression turned stern, "you aren't keeping me away. I'll humour you for this Hunt, but as soon as it is done we are going back to normal."

"Deal." Harry gave her a quick embrace, but pulled away when a knock at the door interrupted them. Standing up, Harry stalked towards the door. He made sure that his 'angelic' face was on and he took a deep breath to calm his emotions. He pulled open the door and saw the Winchester brothers stood outside the door. "Come in."

Harry backed away from the door and stepped aside, allowing the brothers to enter the hotel room. Sam and Dean looked around the room and couldn't help but be impressed. When they had arrived at the hotel, Dean swore they had got the wrong one by mistake. This place was expensive looking and definitely not the normal kind of place that they stayed in. Sam, however, was adamant that they were at the right place. He had turned out to be right when Ezekiel had opened the door to the suite that he was staying in.

"So." Sam cleared his throat. "What do you need help Hunting?"

Ezekiel returned to his seat next to Hermione and reclined back. "I have tracked a small group of vampires here and have found that they have a club where they lure their next meal. I plan to go to the club and discover how many there are and kill them."

"Ok. So why do you need our help?"

"It would be best to have another Hunter with me. It is logical to have backup."

Dean was confused. "Erm, there are already two of you."

Harry shook his head. "Hermione will not be coming." Seeing that they brothers were about to ask why his sister wasn't going with him, he quickly answered their unasked question. "It is Hermione's turn to take a holiday from Hunting and this is my case."

"Ok." Dean shrugged, seeming to accept that and Harry was glad. He didn't want to get into an emotional conversation with the brothers. He had promised his Uncle that he would act like a real angel around them and Harry was sure that having a heart to heart with the other Hunters wasn't exactly how angels acted.

"Hermione has been wanting to see some kind of new film that has just come out. I have managed to purchase some tickets for the film. It was surprisingly popular and they were difficult to get." Harry pulled the tickets out of his pocket and watched as Hermione gave his a bright smile. She had been trying to see the film for the last few days but it was a popular film. Harry was glad he had made the right choice. "And of course, there is a ticket for Sam as well."

"What?" Sam chocked out.

"Hermione, why don't you go and get the concierge to call you a taxi?" Harry watched as Hermione exited the room and turned to the brothers. "I know that you would want to help on this Hunt, but I need you to go and protect Hermione. You, better than anyone else, both know what is lurking in the dark."

Sam hesitated for a second, before nodding and taking the tickets from Harry. Once he had left the room, Harry turned to Dean and nodded. "Looks like it is just you and me Dean."

Dean fought the blush that threatened to cover his face. He had to get over this stupid reaction around the angel. Damn it, he wasn't some kind of teenage virgin that was just being noticed by his first crush! He was a womaniser – the one that chased and always got who he set his mind on into his bed. Steeling himself mentally, he nodded to the angel. "So, when are we leaving for this club?"

Harry hid the small smile that graced his features. Dean just seemed to accept the fact that he was forcing Hermione and Sam to spend time together. Although Harry had no idea if that was because Dean knew what he was doing and approved of his ingenious plan, or if it was because Dean had no idea what Harry was trying to do and accepted his excuse that Hermione was on 'holiday' from Hunting. Either way, it didn't matter. His plan was coming together nicely. Shaking himself from his thoughts, Harry answered Dean's question. "As soon as we get changed."

"Changed?" Dean frowned as he caught the bag that Ezekiel threw to him. "Why do we have to get changed?"

"The club has a certain kind of clientele. We have to fit in or they will notice us straight away. You may get changed in the bedroom," Harry pointed out the door on the left, "and I will get changed here. Please don't take too long. We need to leave soon."

Harry watched as Dean rolled his eyes and wandered into the room Harry had pointed out and slammed the door. Harry walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out the clothing that he had purchased for himself. Whilst he knew that he had to get some clothing to wear to the club, Harry had never expected it to be such an….experience. He had gone to a gothic shop that he found and looked around helplessly for a few minutes before deciding that the shop assistant was there for a reason. She had been nice and seemed to have fun dressing Harry up in lots of different gothic clothing. Two hours later, Harry had finally managed to get a word in edgeways and had told her he would just take the latest outfit she had forced him into. He thought for a moment and randomly chose an outfit for Dean, deciding to use some of the subtle resizing charms that Molly had insisting on teaching him. Dean wouldn't even notice that the clothing was resizing itself to fit him.


Harry had finished putting his clothing on over ten minutes ago and Dean had yet to make an appearance out of the room. Harry stalked towards the door and banged on it. Sure, he could just appear inside the room, but he was trying to be polite. He was, after all, forcing Dean into gothic clothing that he would never wear.

Dean heard the banging on the door, but was reluctant to open it. He knew that he would hate the clothing that Ezekiel had gotten for him and if Sammy ever saw him in them, he wouldn't hear the end of it for months. Dean had to admit (very reluctantly) that they weren't as bad as he imagined them to be. He was wearing black skinny jeans (a first for Dean) that had chains hanging off them and a belt with a skull buckle hanging low on his hips. The t-shirt he was wearing was plain, blood-red in colour and clung to him, showing his Hunting-honed muscles. Over the top was a black leather jacket with military style fastenings down the front. It was the one item that Dean liked and would keep.

All of the clothing fit Dean perfectly and he wondered how the angel had managed to get all the items of clothing in the right size. He must have really looked at Dean the last time they met and memorised all the details of what he looked like. Dean felt a shudder of pleasure go through him at the thought of Ezekiel looking him over. He quickly squashed that thought before it could gain momentum and pulled open the door in hope of crushing the desire he felt by laughing at how the angel looked in his own gothic getup. But he was sadly disappointed in his hope.

Ezekiel had gotten bored of banging on the bedroom door and being ignored by Dean and had seated himself back onto the sofa and was draped over the entire seat. Dean had to swallow hard to help gain control of his emotions. The angel was wearing a pair of skin-tight leather trousers and a plain green t-shirt. He had on a pair of worn combat boots that were left half open to give a relaxed air to his outfit and to tone down the trousers. It was a simple outfit, but it showcased the angel's toned body.

"So, finally ready to go?" Dean had to tear his eyes away from the patch of skin that showed just about the trousers where Ezekiel's t-shirt had ridden up as he was reclined. He looked up and found the angel sweeping his eyes up and down his form, taking in all the details. "Not bad. We should leave."

Dean nodded and forced his mind into 'Hunter' mode. Now was not the time to go all chick-flick with his emotions. They had some supernatural fugly to gank. "How are we going to get there?"

"I am going to transport us there. I know Castiel mentioned that you didn't like our means of transport, but is the quickest way." Harry watched as Dean nodded and stepped closer to him. He reached out and grabbed his shoulder in a vice-like grip before transporting them into an alley next to the club. He made sure to hold on hard because it would not be good if he lost Dean mid-transport. He could just imagine what his Uncle would say.

Harry quickly checked that Dean was ok, and led him towards the entrance of the club. There was a burly bouncer outside and Harry could feel some kind of supernatural power coming off him. He wanted to investigate it closer, but knew he didn't have time. Harry allowed a tiny amount of magical energy to be pushed towards the bouncer, but he made sure that it felt wrong and forced all his bad emotions into it. If his magic felt too pure, then he would not be allowed into the club. The bouncer looked at Harry sharply, before allowing him to enter the club straight away. Harry ignored the complaints from the queue of people waiting to enter and pulled Dean inside with him.

Dean saw the large queue of people waiting to get into the club and thought that it would sometime in the next century that they may finally get into the club. But Ezekiel led him straight to the front and stopped in front of the hefty doorman. Dean thought they were about to be sent to the back of the queue with an insult about trying to push in, but the bouncer sharply looked at the angel and allowed them straight in. The question was on the tip of his tongue, but decided that now wasn't the time to ask.

As soon as they got through the doors, Dean was hit by the loud and blaring music. It was some kind of metal, screaming kind of music that Dean didn't even know what to it as. Turning, he suddenly realised how close Ezekiel was. He almost jumped back, but saw that the angel was trying to tell him something. Steeling himself, he edged closer to Ezekiel.

Harry frowned at how loud the music was, but, in truth, he had been expecting it. It was a club after all. But he still needed to get Dean's attention, so he stepped closer and watched, amused, as Dean edged closer. Shaking his head, Harry leaned forward so that his mouth was next to Dean's ear.

"Why don't you go and grab us some drinks from the bar? I need a minute to focus my powers and find the vampire." Dean gave a tiny quiver at the feel of Ezekiel's hot breath against his ear, but nodded all the same and moved away from the angel.

He glanced back and saw that Ezekiel was swaying in time to the music, but his gaze was flicking rapidly around the room and were slightly glazed. Dean guessed that he was looking around and trying to sense who was a vampire out of all the people in the club. Dean pulled his eyes away from the seraphim and ducked around the crowds of people to get to the bar.

Harry's gaze flicked from one goth to another, trying to find the vampires that he knew for a fact hunted in this club. He actually found it amusing that any vampire would give into stereotype and play at being gothic. He was pulled from his amusement when his senses tingled. Honing in on the location, he found that it was coming from a woman sat in corner on a worn leather couch. He debated about whether he should go to her on his own, or if he should get Dean and both of them go over. He knew that there were more vampires still in the club, but finding one meant that he could use her to lure the others out.

Looking over to the bar to see where his fellow Hunter had gone, his decision was made. Dean seemed to be in need of rescuing from an overeager male goth who had seemingly taken a liking to the older Hunter. Rolling his eyes at how uncomfortable Dean seemed to be, Harry gracefully slide through the crowd towards the bar.

Dean had been quietly getting two bottles of beer from the barman, when some goth (who was wearing too much guyliner in Dean's opinion) started trying to flirt with him. The more Dean acted dismissingly and disinterested, the more the guy seemed to take it to be a challenge. Dean was close to just shoving the guy away and using some kind of crude insult to get him to go away when he saw Ezekiel silently slide next to him.

Dean tried to not jump as the angel put an arm around his waist, allowing his hand to lightly rest on Dean's hip. "Meeting new friends, babe?" Ezekiel's voice was silky and he gave the guy the once over. "He seems nice. You always did have good taste. And tonight is your choice after all."

Dean watched in satisfaction as the guy took in the predator-like gleam in the angel's eyes and gulped hard. He turned and practically ran away without a word. Ezekiel gave a triumphant smirk and turned to face Dean. "You owe me, Winchester. I've found one of the vampires whilst you were being sexually harassed by the guyliner man."

Dean scowled at him, but allowed himself to be pulled away from the bar. Ezekiel didn't even seem to notice that he kept his arm around Dean's waist, his beer firmly clutched in his other hand. Wherever the angel touched, Dean felt as though fire ran through his skin. He had been hoping that exposure to the angel would make his crush go away. Kind of like gaining immunity, but it was having the opposite effect. The emotions just kept getting deeper and deeper and Dean was scared how far they would go. He had never been in love and he had never really believed in all that soul mate crap, but now he was finding himself re-evaluating his beliefs and ideals. And that scared him a hell of a lot.

Harry pulled Dean through the crowd, making sure that he kept a grip on him so that they weren't separated or poor Dean wasn't harassed again. He finally managed to fight his way through the dancing goths to the corner where the seating was situated and smiled at the vampire. She was good-looking, with light hair and dark eyes. She gave Harry a sultry smile and patted the seat next to her.

"So, what is a woman like you doing sat here all alone?" Harry reclined casually next to her and gave her his full attention after he made sure Dean was ok in the sofa opposite them.

"Well, I'm trying to find some fun for the night. I felt the energy that was directed at the bouncer and wondered who it was. Imagine my surprise when a little deal-witch comes to have a chat with me and brings his little toy with him?" Harry almost smirked in triumph. His plan to make anything supernatural that felt his little power display with the bouncer believe his power was tainted and came from a corrupt source had clearly worked.

"Well what can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty face that goes with a sexy body."

The woman gave a small laugh. "You aren't bad yourself and you have a killer accent. And your little toy looks like he could be fun." Dean saw the woman give him a once over and normally he would be happy that a hot woman was checking him out, but this time he knew the woman was a vampire. It made his skin crawl in disgust. "You seem to have a talent for witchcraft. Most have no idea how to control the power they are given."

Harry did smirk this time. It was all going better than he had planned for. The vampire seemed to have taken a shine to him. Now all he had to do was convince her to lead him to the others. "So, why don't we go somewhere private?"

The woman ran a hand up and down Harry's arm seductively. "I have some friends that would love to meet you." Her eyes glinted darkly. "I'm sure that they will really enjoy that. So, little deal-witch, why don't you use some of your powers and make it so no one notices you zapping us out of here?"

Dean watched as Ezekiel smiled at the woman and concentrated, his eyes once again glazing over. Dean didn't like how the woman ignored him and called him Ezekiel's toy. It was normally him that was in control of a Hunt and he found it difficult letting go of control to the angel. That and seeing a vampire with her hands all over the seraphim didn't help. He was about to open his mouth with a comment that he just couldn't help, when he suddenly appeared in a different room.

Looking around sharply, he was in a darkened room and it was silent. Dean's eardrums were still throbbing slightly from the loud, screechy music from the club. He turned and saw that the woman had backed away from Ezekiel and was leaning against the wall, watching them both avidly. The angel was looking at her with a blank expression, but Dean saw his freeze when a dark voice sounded from across the room.

"My, my – how nice of you to join us Lord Potter." Dean watched as the angel stiffened at the mocking tone at the mention of the word 'Lord'. They both turned to the sound of the voice and Dean saw that Ezekiel had forced himself to relax.

"Lauton. How…nice….to see you after all this time." Dean was surprised to see Ezekiel's fists clench.

The vampire brushed back his brown hair and laughed. "Well, I saw you enter the club and couldn't resist the temptation after all this time. Consider it repaying the favour. You did after all kill my entire coven in France."

Ezekiel growled deep in his throat, an almost alien sound coming from the angel, in Dean's opinion. He never thought an angel of the Lord could make such a menacing and guttural sound. "I was doing my job – stopping you from killing anymore innocent people. The last scene I went to was a bloodbath. I guess your meal got a little messy."

The pale, cold eyes glinted. "I have a new family now – I see how well you were getting on with a member of my new family. I just couldn't resist making it complete and inviting some of your family as well."

Dean's heart seemed to stop when two people were shoved into the room, kicking and fighting all the way. He recognised his brother's tall frame and girly haircut and the woman next to him was clearly Hermione. The vampire tutted at them. "Now, now. You are my guests. Show some politeness to your host. I'm surprised at you Miss Granger. I thought you were raised better than this."

"Bite me." Hermione hissed, before letting out a sarcastic laugh. "Excuse the pun, of course. I know that you would actually bite me, so I retract that insult. Here's another one instead: go screw yourself, you murdering bastard."

The vampire waved a hand dismissingly. "Are you still mad that I killed your little boyfriend during the attack at the Ministry? You really should move on from that. Or," he leered at Sam, who had manoeuvred himself so he was stood slightly in front of Hermione. "I guess you already have. He looks tasty – like a piece of rare meat."

Dean made to move forward, only to be pushed back by Ezekiel. "Enough of this. Let them go and we can deal with this. Just between us two."

"Like I'm going to do that. I have a hungry coven to feed." The vampire scoffed and suddenly pounced forward, grabbing the angel from behind, with an arm around his neck and across his chest. "I think I'll keep you for myself. Although it is a tough choice between you and Miss Granger. I know she would taste good – all born-witches taste so good. Especially ones as powerful as she is."

Dean and Sam's eyes went wide and they looked at Hermione, who blushed slightly and refused to meet their gaze. She took a deep breath before steeling herself. Dean pushed down his questions and saw his brother doing the same. There would be plenty of time to ask questions after they had killed these sons-of-bitches. He watched as Hermione met Ezekiel's gaze. To Dean, it looked as though they were having some kind of silent communication that was similar to how Sammy and himself sometimes had silent arguments.

They seemed to have come to an agreement that Hermione didn't like, if her expression was anything to go by. Dean saw her hand slowly reach into her sleeve and grip something. He was reminded of the gun he had stashed at the back of his trousers, under his jacket. He was going to reach for it, when luminous green eyes caught his own. Ezekiel saw him moving his hand and was minutely shaking his head. Dean was reluctant to do nothing, but he trusted the angel.

It took everything Dean had to not rush to the angel when the vampire bit down on his neck. Ezekiel stiffened but he showed no other indication of the pain he must be feeling, except for the slight scrunch at the corners of his eyes. In the meantime, Hermione had pulled out a wooden stick, which she waved and a pale blue light suddenly shone out of it. All the vampires fell to the floor clutching their ears and screaming in pain.

Dean ran forward as Ezekiel was released from the vampires iron grip and helped him stand, an arm firmly around the seraphim's waist. He received a small smile, which made his heart flutter (he would never admit that. Ever. He wasn't some kind of girl, for God's sake). The angel closed his eyes and waved a hand at the vampires, causing them all to go lifeless and still. All of them except the one who had just been chewing his neck.

"What did you do to them?" Sam looked around at the bodies on the floor, a look of confusion on his face.

"I took their souls, like I did with that necromancer." Ezekiel swayed slightly on his feet, so Dean pulled him closer and held him tighter. All for the good of the angel's health, of course.

"And what are you gonna do with him?" Dean asked, nodding his head in the direction of the only vampire remaining alive.

"I'm going to leave him die – slowly and painfully." The angel had a carefully blank expression back in place. "My blood is like crack for vampires, but it is also toxic. Once he has come down from the intense high in an hour or so, he will start to suffer the toxic effects. There is no cure and it will be excruciating."

"That is still better than he deserves." Hermione looked at the vampire stiffly, before turning away. "Are you well enough to transport us back to the hotel? We need to clean your wound so that it can start to heal right away."

"I've got enough energy to get us back. But I will need to sleep to recover my energy from this. Don't worry if I pass out as soon as we are back at the hotel." Ezekiel closed his eyes and Dean watched as they all suddenly appeared in one of the suite's bedrooms. He caught the seraphim as he pitched forward, unconscious, and gently laid him on the bed. It had been a long day.


Hermione watched from a window in the hotel suite as the Winchesters collected their car from the valet and drove away into the distance. It had been a long day so far and she couldn't wait to get to bed and sleep for days. She knew it would be a while before the image of Harry becoming a human happy meal for a vampire would leave her mind. She knew that it was part of Harry's insane plan to help cause a distraction so she could get her wand (once vampire got a taste, or even sniff, of blood, they couldn't concentrate on anything else), but she still hated Harry putting himself in danger. But Hermione knew Harry would never change, damn his saving-people-thing.

It hadn't been all bad though. Hermione allowed herself a small smile as she thought about her trip to the cinema with the youngest Winchester. Sam had been the perfect gentleman – holding open doors, insisting on paying for her drink and popcorn, offering her his arm. It had all been perfect. Well, until they were grabbed by vampires on the way back to the car after the film had ended. She didn't even have time to cast any defensive spells before they were shoved into a car.

Another upside of the night was the Winchester's being fine with her magic. It seemed Harry had already explained the difference between those born as witches and those that sold their souls for a similar, but corrupt power. Hermione and Sam had left Dean to clean the bite on Harry's neck and Hermione had answered all the eager questions Sam had about her magic and the secret community hidden among them.

Whilst it had been good, it confused Hermione. She knew she was attracted to the youngest Winchester brother, but she had refused to consider the possibility of starting something with him so far. But Sam's acceptance of her magic and his eagerness to learn all about it only increased her attraction. Now she had no idea what she should do. And it was all Harry's fault.

Hermione had been confused at first as to why Harry wanted her to go to the cinema with Sam. She had no illusions that his ridiculous story of her having time off hunting was a load of crap. But now she knew that Harry was being thoughtful and was setting her and Sam up. Harry was too observant sometimes. She had never been able to hide much from him.

Hermione almost gave a snort at the thought of Harry being observant. It seemed he was missing something that was right in front of his face. Hermione could see the way Dean Winchester looked at Harry. She could tell how deep the Winchester's feelings seemed to go, yet Harry was unaware that the Hunter felt anything for him. She also saw the signs that Harry liked him back, but had yet to realise that. Harry was always blind when it came to love and happiness for himself. She could only hope that he would realise his feelings and act on them before the goddamn Apocalypse finished them all off.