A/N: I'd like to thank everyone for the kind reviews. I've been posting about once a week. I'm going to try and keep up with that schedule but I've run out of the stuff I'd already written. Life keeps trying to get in the way. I hope I didn't make to many mistakes in this. I didn't have time to go back and look over it. I hope you enjoy this just as much as you've enjoyed the previous chapters.


Chapter Eight

Darkness had fallen about an hour ago. Everyone was gone, had been for about an hour. The house was done and it was absolutely perfect. Harry was stretched out on the sofa watching some reality show, which didn't look the least bit realistic, waiting for Trinity to get back. He'd overworked himself so Trinity had gone to the B&B to get their things without him.

When the phone rang Harry startled, nearly falling off the couch. It had been so long since he'd heard one ring. And why was it ringing? Had they given the number out? He'd given it to Paul but surely he wouldn't be calling already.

Using his wand, Harry summoned the phone to him. It was an ancient rotary phone with an insanely long cord on the kitchen wall that Trinity assured him was safe to use magic on. He caught the handset and held it to his ear. Time to see if his sister was right.

"Hello?" he said cautiously.

"Hi," a familiar, feminine voice came across the line, "Is this Harry?"

"Yes. Who is this?"

"This is Bella. We met yesterday. My dad did his cop thing and got your number for me. I hope that's alright."

Harry sighed, relieved that he hadn't lost his mind. "That's fine. What can I do for you?"

"I was telling my family about you guys and they wanted to meet you. So I was wondering if the two of you would like to come over for dinner tomorrow night. If you don't have anything else planned of course."

Should he make plans without talking to Trinity? He was sure that she didn't have anything planned for tomorrow. "That sounds great. We'll be there." He just hoped that Trinity didn't get upset with him.

"Great. So we'll see you tomorrow around seven?"

"That's fine. See you then."

Bella rattled off their address and gave him directions. They said their goodbyes and Harry sent the handset back to the cradle. He smiled at the thought of meeting Bella's family. She seemed like a nice, if shy, person. Her family was probably just as nice.

It was strange meeting all these people that didn't know he was famous. Sure, they all knew about the money because they'd been spending like crazy, but they didn't know how much there really was. Harry had enough money that he didn't have to work for at least ten lifetimes. And he was sure that Trinity had at least that much, probably more.

Talking to people who didn't know was easier than he'd ever imagined. He didn't have to worry about stupidly hyphenated titles and obscenely grateful fans. He didn't have to concern himself over the needs and wants of a government he couldn't trust. Plus he could be absolutely certain that these connections, these possible friendships, were genuine. Not something cultivated because of who he was and what he had.

Maybe he should write to his friends. He hadn't spoken to them since he got out of the hospital. They didn't seem to miss him. He hadn't been willing at first to have visitors but he wasn't even sure they tried. Madam Pomfrey had bullied her way in, that woman never gave up. And surprisingly, neither had Snape. He simply ignored anything Harry or Kreacher had to say and came at least once a week. He would write to them. They would know if any of his friends had tried to get in touch with him since he left.

"Kreacher!" Harry called out while he pulled himself into a sitting position.

There was a loud pop and Kreacher was in front of him. "Master Harry called."

"Could you get me some parchment and a quill? When you get back you can get you things moved in here. We've finally got the house set up so we're ready for you," he told the old elf. Kreacher nodded and disappeared. He was back a few minutes later with the writing supplies and a ratty sack. "You can't use the closet down here but there are a few upstairs that you might like." Once he heard that Kreacher was off exploring.

Taking up the quill, Harry started writing to Pomfrey. He would have to get Kreacher deliver the letters because he had yet to get an owl. The letter was harder to write than he thought it would be. And he was dancing around where they actually were. He didn't want anyone to know just yet. He had finished the letter to the healer and was working on the one to Snape when Trinity came in carrying his bags.

"I'm back," she said with a smile.

Before he could answer her Kreacher appeared in front of her. "I take Mistress's things," he grumbled taking the bags.

Trinity quickly shook off her surprise, "Those are Harry's. His room is downstairs. Thank you Kreacher." She came over and curled up in one of the recliners, "How long has he been here?"

Harry shrugged, "Twenty minutes, maybe more. I haven't been watching the clock."

"What are you watching?" she asked.

"Something about surviving I think. I stopped paying attention," he answered while he finished up his letter, "You can watch something else if you want."

She shook her head, "Never been very interested in television. I wouldn't know what to look for."

After sealing both letters Harry looked over at his sister. "Bella called and invited us over for dinner tomorrow to meet her family. I said we'd go. I hope you don't mind." He tried not to be nervous about her response but it was hard. He never would have done something like this with Vernon or Petunia.

"That's fine I guess," Trinity smiled at him, "Wonder what they'll serve."

Harry lifted an eyebrow, "What does it matter? I'm sure it'll be good. You don't invite people over if you can't cook."

Trinity looked at him in surprise. "Bella's a vampire, which means her new husband and his family probably are too. Didn't you realize?"

Now it was Harry's turn to be surprised. Bella was a vampire? How had he missed that? It wasn't like he'd never seen a vampire before. Maybe he should have paid more attention in school. "She's a vampire? Are you sure?"

"Yes," Trinity rolled her eyes at him, "When I let my magic roam I felt them but I didn't realize exactly what they were until I met Bella. There are different species of vampires, races if you will. They're a race I've never encountered before so I didn't recognize them when I felt them."

Harry couldn't help but laugh at the eye roll. "Sorry to question your abilities," he tried hard not to sound sarcastic between snickers. Trinity looked offended for about five seconds before she started laughing too.

They had a good laugh over something completely ridiculous and Harry was sure it wasn't that funny. Kreacher was shaking his head when he brought them tea. Harry sucked in a few calming breaths to get himself under control while she did the same. Trinity was still smiling when she reached for her tea.

"What would vampires serve for dinner?" Harry asked as he reached for his own tea.

After sipping her tea Trinity shrugged, "Maybe they think they'll have us for dinner. Or maybe they'll have Italian. Vampires aren't that big a deal for me. If you weren't hurt they probably wouldn't pose a problem for you either."

And there it was. Another reminder that he wasn't what he used to be. That he hadn't been fast enough to protect himself. He was basically half the man he used to be. According to everyone, he was the best defensive caster to ever come out of Hogwarts. But what good was all that knowledge if he didn't have the ability to stand on his own two feet? Just trying to stand reminded him of how useless the war had made him.

"Do you think we should still go? Or do you want to go by yourself?" he failed to keep the anger and sadness out of his voice.

She sighed heavily before answering. "As a rule vampires are fast. I'm cautious," she answered honestly, "I don't see a reason you can't go. My magic didn't react negatively to them. As long as our blood stays inside our bodies everything should be fine. And if something does go wrong I am seriously overpowered."

Harry snorted into his tea. "What does that even mean? Princess or not, aren't you a witch?"

"Technically I'm the heir not the princess. Terms like queen, king, prince and princess are easier to use here. My mother is Conduit and I am Heir. If my mother has more children they will be the princes and princesses unless something happens to me or she chooses another heir," Trinity explained, "And I'm not exactly a witch. I'm an elemental. My magic is tied to the elements."

When she paused Harry nodded to show that he was following.

"My primary element, the easiest to master, is fire," she held up her left arm, "I mastered water next," right arm, "Then I chose air." She reached down a rolled up her pants on her left leg to show him the tattoo he'd already seen. It was nice to know what they meant.

"There's nothing on your right leg."

"I'm nearly finished mastering earth. Once I do the power marks will appear on my right leg."

Harry nodded his understanding. Then he frowned, "Aren't there five elements in magic?"

Trinity nodded. "The last is magic itself. No one but the Conduit can master that and not until they actually become Conduit. Mastering the other four elements will make me the second most powerful magical being in all worlds. Only my mother will be stronger."

He stared at her with wide eyes. Maybe she wasn't exaggerating when she said she was overpowered. "If I take your mother's offer what will happen to me?" he asked after he found his voice.

Trinity put her cup down and turned so she could look at him straight on. "It won't change who you are. You'll still be a wizard but with more power. You'll be able to master at least one element, probably two with how powerful you already are. Just a smidge less human is all," she explained gently, "Have you been worried about changing into a monster or something?"

"Just about becoming something I'm not," Harry bit his lip, "I haven't decided anything yet. I know that I'll have more questions as I think about it."

"I'm here to answer any question you can think of," Trinity reached for her tea again, "Now, are we going to risk dinner with vampires?"

The way she shifted the conversation threw him sometimes. So far he appreciated it. She seemed to know exactly when he was ready to leave a subject. He was starting to wonder if she was reading his mind.

"Vampire or not, I think I could be friends with Bella," Harry told her, "I'll just have to be careful and have my wand ready. I'm still quick on the draw even if I can't run worth a damn. And for this first visit you'll be there to see if we can trust them."

Trinity nodded, "I think I want you to see my healer friend before I'll be comfortable with you spending time alone with vampires. Don't get me wrong, I won't stop you if you decide to hang out with them. You are an adult. But I'll be worried sick the whole time."

Harry was glad that she wasn't telling him what he could and couldn't do. He'd had enough of that in his life. It was strange having someone worry about him though. Hermione had in her own way but she'd been just as quick to follow him into danger as she was to yell at him for being in danger in the first place. Trinity would worry but he didn't think it was going to involve yelling. And if she was following he didn't think there would be that much danger.

"We'll see how it goes after tomorrow," Harry reached for the remote, "Now let's find something to watch."

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The time had come to grow a pair. Sam wasn't going to let him put off patrolling any more. Paul was standing in front of the house trying to work up the nerve to knock. Sam knew he was there but he was giving him time. Paul had never been so nervous in his life. With one last steadying breath, Paul raised his fist and knocked.

Sam opened the door before Paul's arm was back at his side. "Come in," he said gruffly.

Paul followed Sam into the living room and sat awkwardly on the end of the couch. Sam parked himself in the armchair across from him. They sat in uncomfortable silence while Paul tried to think of where to begin. He wondered if Quil had felt like this when he imprinted on a child. Or Jacob when he'd imprinted on the vampire baby.

"You ready to tell me what's been bothering you?" Sam asked after he got tired of the quiet.

Paul shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "Um..." he cleared his throat, "I imprinted." His voice came out in a rough whisper.

Sam grinned, "That's great. I don't see why you were hiding yourself away. Who is it?"

Paul turned his gaze to the floor. He couldn't look at Sam at the moment. "Harry," it came out so low he barely made a sound.

There was no sound. Paul continued to look at the floor while he waited for Sam to say something. The silence stretched on and on. Paul swallowed hard as he waited. The longer it went on the more nervous Paul became. He couldn't see any way this would turn out good. His alpha had to be thinking of a way to get rid of him, to toss him out of the pack.

Stiffening his spine, Paul found the courage to look up. Sam was just staring at him with his mouth hanging open and his eyes unfocused. He looked frozen in time. Maybe he was broken. "Sam?" his voice was shaking slightly so he cleared his throat again, "Say something."

The alpha visibly shook himself and his eyes cleared. "Are you sure it's Harry and not Trinity?"

Paul scoffed, "Are you sure it's Emily and not Leah?"

"I don't understand how this could happen," Sam shot to his feet and started pacing, "How could you imprint on a guy? It doesn't make any sense. Imprinting is supposed to strengthen the tribe. This has never happened before."

"Most of us are kids. Most of us haven't imprinted. And there were only three wolves in the last pack," Paul tried to sound reasonable, "How do we even know that this can't happen?"

Sam continued to pace, keeping his eyes off of Paul. "You're not even gay. You can't expand the pack with a man."

"What are you going to do?" Paul clasped his hands tightly together between his knees to keep from wringing them.

Shaking his head, Sam finally turned to look at Paul. "I don't know what to do or to think about this. Have you said anything to Harry?"

"Say what Sam? 'Hi Harry. I turn into a giant wolf whenever the mood strikes and because of that it turns out you're my everything. Does that work for you?' How well do you think that would go over?" Paul demanded, trying to fight off the sudden anger.

Sam ignored the outburst. "That's good. Maybe you can ignore it and find a nice girl to settle down with."

"Yes, because ignoring an imprint is possible. Because Jacob has turned his back on the vampire and Quil has turned his back on Claire," Paul ground out, "And let's not forget you ignored imprinting on Emily when you had been in love with Leah for years."

"As unorthodox as those are, they can strengthen and grow the pack. Imprinting on a man can't do that," Sam was this close to yelling.

"I can't ignore it. I won't. The pull to see Harry is the strongest thing I have ever felt in my life. Stronger than the urge to shift even."

Sam's eyes darkened and he moved to stand directly in front of Paul. "You will stay away from that boy. I will make it an order if I have to."

Paul shot to his feet and stood toe to toe with his alpha. "You can't order me to stay away from my imprint. I'll break from the pack if I have to. Don't make me choose Sam."

The growl that came from Sam made Paul nervous. He hoped that the other man wasn't going to shift right here in the living room. He wasn't sure the house would survive the fight that would come from it. Paul probably wouldn't win but he would make sure that he did some damage.

"Get out," Sam growled, "Until I speak to the elders I don't want to see you. Don't come back here until I call you."

It hurt having his alpha speak to him this way. Paul shoved past Sam and hurried out of the house. As soon as he crossed the threshold he let the shift take him. He tore through the trees at full speed. He wasn't worried about the others knowing anymore. At this point it looked like he was going to lose them all anyway. It hurt like nothing ever had before.

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When the ground started to shake Harry nearly fell off the couch. He looked up as Kreacher let out an alarmed squeak and popped away. As the house continued shake Harry sat the math book down on the couch and reached for his cane. He didn't know what the hell was happening but he was going to find out. Did earthquakes happen in this parts of the world?

Everything stopped shaking as he pulled himself to his feet. He looked around wondering if it was over or if it was going to happen again. He could hear Trinity cursing from the backyard. Hoping she was ok, Harry went to go check on her.

The shaking started again just as he reached the door. He hurriedly pulled it open and stepped out on the deck. He needed to find his sister. Keeping a tight grip on his cane, Harry reached for the back of one of the deck chairs to steady himself.

When the earth was still again, Trinity's cursing drew his attention to the center of the yard. She was standing there in sweat pants and a tank top without shoes. Her hands were on her hips and she was breathing heavily. It was odd to see her up and alert at this time of day. He didn't even remember her going outside. He must have been completely absorbed in his studies to have missed her stumbling around.

Trinity shook her hands out and rolled her shoulders. He watched as she planted her feet and held her hands out to the sides, palms down. Her entire body tensed and everything started shaking again. Harry watched in amazement as the ground started to rise up around her. It was slow and it looked like it was taking a lot out of her. Then the ground fell back into place, the shaking stopped and she started cursing again.

"What are you doing?" Harry called out to her.

She spun around so fast that she lost her balance and landed on her ass. She sat there, stunned for just a second, before she started laughing. Harry laughed with her while he ventured out into the yard. Trinity was still sitting there giggling when he reached her.

"I'm trying to bend the earth to my will," she told him once she'd calmed down, "It's not going well at the moment."

"So, do you think anyone else felt the earth shaking?" Harry offered his hand to help her up.

Trinity took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. "No one lives close enough to us to feel it. I didn't mean to bother you."

"It's fine. You scared the hell out of Kreacher though. Not sure he can stand to be scared like that as old as he is."

"He'll be alright. I'm done for now anyway," Trinity dusted off her pants, "Gave myself a headache."

"What are you doing up so early?"

"Mother called to see how things were going. There was business to discuss and I told her about Sirius and Remus. She'll have to pass that on the the others. She told me that it would be a few more weeks before Bell and Ash are done with their honeymoon. Once they're done with that they'll come straight here. No telling when Brex will show," they started back to the house, "After that I called the healer that I want to see you. She said she'd be here by the end of the week."

The healer. Harry fought the urge to hope. He didn't care what anyone said, hope was the most dangerous thing in the world. Nothing was more damaging than hoping for something and having it not happen. "Ok," he said once he'd successfully squashed the hope that this healer would be the one to fix him.

Trinity sighed softly because she knew what he was doing. "So, what are your plans today?"

"I'm planning to study until it's time to go to the Cullen's unless something changes."

"Your day doesn't sound any more exciting than mine. There's more paperwork to go over and I have to call the ICW and arrange a meeting. They're not going to like that. According to my mother every time Karant gets involved the wizards think that their world is ending."

Harry nodded. "Wizards like to think they're the end all and be all. It's like a kick in the teeth for them to remember they're not," he bumped shoulders with her, "Personally, I think my day is better than yours."

Trinity grinned, "I'd rather have your day too. Wanna trade?"

Harry shook his head vehemently. "No thank you. Would I have to do stuff like that?"

Shaking her head, she said, "Nope. All of this mess falls onto the shoulders of the Conduit and the Heir when the Heir comes of age. The princes and princesses never have to do any of this ruling stuff unless they want to. Not fair in the least."

"That certainly makes it more appealing," Harry bumped her again.

Trinity laughed before gently bumping him back. "What are you studying?"

"Math, which is not my favorite" Harry answered with a small pout, "I want to finish muggle school. I can't practice enough magic right now to finish up my magical education so I'm working on the muggle stuff."

"Well, I can help you with the magic stuff when you're ready. I do have a wand, had to get one to study magic at Hogwarts. And I can teach you how to do magic without a wand too. Wizards are capable of it if they're powerful enough, which you are," Trinity held the door open for him, "I could help with the muggle stuff too but I don't exactly appreciate the joys of math myself."

Harry snickered, "I have a handle on the muggle stuff. And I can ask Paul or someone to help me with it when I get stuck."

Kreacher was grumbling about annoying witches and things that shouldn't be shaking while he cleaned the living room. Trinity smiled at the old elf, not at all bothered by his insults. Harry had started finding them amusing long ago. He was glad his sister felt the same.

"Do you like Paul?" Trinity asked with an odd lilt to her voice that he didn't understand.

Harry nodded as he settled himself back on the couch. "He's a great guy. He invited me over to play video games sometime. I think we could be great friends."

He looked up to see an expression he couldn't identify cross her face. It was gone so fast he thought he'd imagined it. "I think it's great you're making friends. Especially ones that can help with your studies," she smiled as she passed him his book, "Now I have to go work. Give a shout if you need anything."

Harry watched as she hurried up the stairs. His sister was very strange. He smiled before turning to his book. He was glad his sister was strange. It made him feel less lonely.