CHAPTER 8:

AN AWKWARD FIRST DATE

It was Atalanta who, thankfully, albeit resignedly, agreed to the date, though she left it up to Harry where they intended to go. It was just a date, after all, albeit one that they'd been roped into by Medea. Damned Witch of Betrayal. Even when she was not actually evil, she could still live up to her epithet by being incredibly petty.

Harry hadn't really gone on that many dates. He'd taken Luna to the Yule Ball as his date, as by the time he decided to ask Hermione, she had been asked by Viktor Krum. After that mess with the Horcruxes had been sorted out, they had seen each other on and off over the years, even having a one-night stand shortly after Harry turned 20. But…well, it was not long after that that they realised that they were better off as friends. Luna reminded Harry too much of his mother, and Luna felt that Harry needed someone…stronger, more aggressive than her. Someone more like himself, someone who understood what it was like to be a hunter. This wasn't to say Luna was weak, but she said that Harry would need someone who was as strong or stronger than him. Her type of strength was different to what he would prefer.

Harry also had a rather…blasé view of love, despite how Artemis and Dumbledore bleated on about love in their own ways. He knew familial love through his mother, and he had friendships. Romantic love…well, he reckoned that the closest he felt was when he was with Luna, and even then, it wasn't quite there.

Harry tended to live in the moment without worrying about the future. It came from his hunter's lifestyle, where he was an itinerant whenever he wasn't staying at his mother's sacred hunting grounds. He lived out of a wizarding tent while on the road. He filled his life with hunting. Not animals, save for when he was in his mother's sacred hunting grounds, or in places where he needed food and he knew the animals weren't rare.

Rather, he hunted people, or rather, monsters that wore the skins of people. Rogue Magi and wizards, Dead Apostles, and the occasional mundane serial killer. The most dangerous game, Dumbledore had said when Harry revealed what he did. The old fart had been appalled, though he at least accepted that Harry only went after the worst humanity had to offer. Then again, Harry had only just started his hunting career when the whole Tri-Wizard Tournament mess sprang up.

In order to love him, a woman would have to love his lifestyle (and he knew he preferred women to men as lovers). Few would, he knew. Few would be willing to live on the road half of the time, roughing it (though a wizarding tent wasn't without luxury). He rode a motorbike when the whim took him, when he didn't want to walk leisurely or use Apparition or Portkeys. He remembered a line from Rudyard Kipling that Hermione once quoted at him, and thought it apt. I am the cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to me.

And then, there was the potential mother-in-law. Artemis, with her energy, enthusiasm, and eccentricity, would doubtlessly put off many of Harry's would-be suitors. She certainly did when she came to Hogwarts for the Tasks. And there was also the incident when Ludo Bagman got a bit too insistent with having her dance with him at the Yule Ball. That punch-drunk moron should have been grateful she didn't give him the Actaeon Special. As it was, in between hunting Horcruxes, he did help the Goblins track down some of Bagman's stashes of money. It wasn't enough to cover the debt, but it was enough to put smiles on his face, Artemis' face, and the Goblins.

Not that it stopped the Goblins from playing both sides if it meant a profit, as yesterday proved with those marriage contracts. He should have paid them to rid him of those contracts in perpetuity rather than as a one-off thing, as he had assumed the former was in place.

Anyway, he had to admit, as far as potential fiancées went, Atalanta was better than most. They shared the same patron deity, they had not dissimilar attitudes to life, though hers was a touch harsher and overly serious, and they were also hunters who'd had bad starts in life. They were also friends by this point, having spent over a month together now, so while this situation was all kinds of awkward, it wasn't an unmitigated disaster.

Unfortunately, Medea had contacted Artemis, and after the squeeing and cooing, she was now giving them some final advice. "…And in conclusion, be careful. And if you can't be careful, be safe. And if you can't be safe…well, name the baby after me or Darling, won't you(1)?"

Harry was blushing up a storm, and he knew Atalanta was too. This was not the way he wanted their date to start…


Harry's first notion was to go and see a movie. So, they went and saw Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Harry was aware of the video games, and had seen the original film while out on one of his missions. It was a trashy film, but an enjoyable one, and over lunch afterwards, he and Atalanta spent a spirited time working out strategies to deal with zombies. Then again, Phoebus Catastrophe could very easily turn a zombie horde into rotting mince, and Phoebe Deluge would do the same, but on a smaller scale.

The next part of their date day was perhaps more sedate. Harry was taking Atalanta to London Zoo at Regent's Park. He knew she would have a mixed reaction to the various animals there being caged and the like, so he did inform her that these were more than mere menageries, but also organisations that worked to help ensure the public was educated about animals and ecology, as well as instituting breeding programs to ensure that some species didn't go extinct.

After the zoo, they just sat down on a bench at Regent's Park in the afternoon, looking across at the lake. Harry knew that he'd glimpsed Rita Skeeter of all people earlier, though she didn't linger. "Those animals in cages," Atalanta said in Ancient Greek. "I know what you said about them, the work they do in preserving them, but…they should be free. Not kept like that."

"Yeah. Unfortunately, there are some animals in the wild who are hunted not for their meat, but for trophies and so-called medicinal parts. Mum views them with the utmost contempt, saying that they are not true hunters, and I've actually dealt with more than a few poachers in Africa. I'd actually just got back from Kenya shortly before Rottweil had his little pissing match with Yggdmillennia," Harry said.

"Hmm. In a way, I know how they feel. I grew up in the wild, as you well know. Even when I was adopted by hunters, I felt more at ease in the wilderness than I did amongst humanity. But…when my father decided that he had a use for me, as a broodmare…I felt as caged as those animals. That was why I made the proviso of that footrace to win my hand. I knew that I was unequalled amongst mortals in terms of running. However, I underestimated Hippomenes' guile." She looked up at the sky wistfully. "He wasn't a bad man, Hippomenes. But…I would have preferred someone better. But Meleager was dead, as was Asclepius and Orpheus. Peleus had been married to Thetis. There are few men I would be with."

"…Did you prefer women?" On her sharp look, he held up his hands. "Hey, I know a lot of the Greeks were bisexual in those days, and I don't care if you prefer women more than you prefer men."

"…No. I preferred the company of women when I wished for human company, it is true, but not as lovers. I merely mistrusted men deeply. As one of the few female huntresses of any renown, I was lusted after. Then again, I did not trust many people in general. The Grail has told me some of the terms involved. I am not a misandrist as much as I am a misanthrope. But many men at the time were misogynists. Witness what happened to Medea. I wish I had done more for her, but I was somewhat perturbed at how readily she had resorted to fratricide at the time. In addition, I took my oath to Lady Artemis very seriously."

"The vow of chastity, right?" Harry asked. On her nod, he said, "Yeah. Of course, there was a practical reason for that."

"Medea reminded me. And please, do not misunderstand me. I actually like you, Harry." She turned to him, and favoured him with a gentle smile. "I would happily be your friend as well as your ally. But I have been rather ill-fated when it came to love in my first life. Meleager was married, and he died because he had the temerity to stand up for me. Hippomenes forced the matter, even if he was courteous and kind. You at least show me due respect and do not try to force me to do anything, to say nothing of your kindness."

"…But would you object to going further if things develop that way?"

"If they do, and Lady Artemis consents…no." She seemed a little surprised at her own admission. "No, I would not. But…do we actually feel love for each other?"

Harry frowned, thinking about that. There was certainly the love of a good friendship, he felt. But was that turning into romance? He wasn't sure. "Not yet. But…it might, don't you think?"

"Maybe." Still, that smile was reassuring. It was a gentle thing, one that showed that Atalanta was still considering it.

But they had other things to consider other than a sort of indeterminate love. There was, after all, a Holy Grail War to triumph in…


Artemis was pouting. "Aww…they didn't even kiss. They just hugged at most," the deity groused.

"Considering how reserved Atalanta is, she's not doing too badly," Medea remarked. The former Princess of Colchis and Artemis were convening in Medea's office, Medea having summoned Artemis to…keep an eye on the date. Orion, who'd come along, had added unnecessary and rather lewd commentary until Medea struck him with a silencing hex. "That she's accepting Harry as a possible consort after all she has been through is a minor miracle in of itself."

"Yeah, but…I want grandbabies," Artemis muttered sullenly. "Harry won't be young forever. And if he has babies with Atalanta…KYAAAH! Oh, they'd be so ADORABLE! Kitty ears and kitty tails!" Artemis clapped her hands to her face as she overdosed on sheer cuteness thanks to her imagination(2). "I WANT KITTEN GRANDBABIES TO SPOIL!"

"You do know you can practise on Olga, right?" Medea asked, referring to her child with Marisbury.

"Oh, yes, I know, but…Harry is my adopted son…and Atalanta is like a daughter to me. And because they're not related, there's no icky incest involved," Artemis said.

"…Well, give them time. I know a Holy Grail War can be brutal and dangerous…but your son is a survivor, and so is Atalanta. As long as that Reika Rikudou woman and her Assassin don't stab them in the back, they should have a good chance."

"Hmm. I do hope that Little 'Lanta finds some way to fulfil her wish, though. Even if she has to change it a little. But…I have faith in her. Yeah, I know it's ironic, a god having faith in a mortal, but…I do. And in my son." She looked at Medea. "Even if they do not win the Grail, I know they will survive this…"


The faux date was perhaps the turning point in their relationship. True, Harry and Atalanta were very annoyed at the headlines trumpeted in the Daily Prophet the next day, though his mother and Medea were amused, as were Luna and Hermione. But Harry and Atalanta admitted, to themselves if not to each other, that the first embers of love began glowing that day, and later events would only fan them. Because in the end, they were two people touched by loneliness and unhappiness, and who needed someone who truly understood that.

However, soon, the time came for them to depart from Romania. They were given details of where to contact Shirou Kotomine, but otherwise, they were left to do their own thing. That being said, Harry, Reika and their Servants didn't quite trust the rest of the Red Faction, so while they would touch base with Kotomine, they would be working independently, at least in the initial stages of the Grail War.

Their arrival in Romania, however, was far from an uneventful one. It was one that would lead them to early suspicions of just how atypical this Great Holy Grail War had become, and the manipulations on both sides. There was something rotten in the state of Romania, and Yggdmillennia only shared the blame…

CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Atalanta has gone on a date with Harry. Yeah, I know, it was pretty tame, no kisses or anything, but, well, it does work when you consider Atalanta's character.

In mythology, Atalanta has shown that she isn't asexual or a lesbian. She actually had some interest for Meleager. I view her as someone who was very serious about her vows on chastity, as well as someone who, while not actually a misandrist, or at least not strongly so, she has an understandable mistrust of men. She nearly got raped by a couple of centaurs, I'm sure a few men tried the same thing, and her life pretty much ended soon after her father decided to pimp her out.

Now, while the date was more of a catalyst I wrote in to strengthen their relationship and open her up to the idea of loving Harry, she's not going to be head over heels for him any time soon. Aside from being an unrealistic romance, she's been through too much, rather like Medea in Separated at Birth. Instead, they've built up to being friends, with Harry gradually getting under her skin and gaining her trust. It helps that Harry is Artemis' adopted son, and actually respects her because he knows her legend and a bit about how it ended.

Harry's attitude to life in general, a bit more like a more whimsical version of Atalanta's own philosophy, doesn't help. While he has a libido, he's also isolated from most human contact, and generally doesn't believe in one-night stands. The one time he slept with a woman, it was because said woman, Luna, was a good friend already, and even then, it was the catalyst for him to take the relationship down back to normal friendship. While Harry is perfectly open to the idea of sex for pleasure, he'd also prefer it to be part of a long-term relationship. Plus, Atalanta has bugged him for grandbabies before, and Orion isn't a help either. He's a bit detached from normal human relationships. Plus, he needs a girl who isn't afraid of roughing it in the middle of nowhere, like he usually does. That does sort of pare down the list somewhat.

Atalanta and the Harry of this story, then, are actually perfect for each other, but they need time to grow closer, and perhaps a small crisis or two. Plus, Artemis is shipping Harry/Atalanta, and so too is Jackie, albeit unconsciously.

Review-answering time! I noticed a lot of people made observations on Jackie wanting to be a flower girl. This wasn't the first time I had Jackie express this thought. In her inner monologue in Love and War, Jackie eagerly anticipates being flower girl when Harry and Tamamo get properly married. There'd be plenty of badass potential flower girls in fiction: Nana from Elfen Lied, Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, and Hinami Fueguchi from Tokyo Ghoul spring to mind.

And as for Medea being a troll…well, who says she can't be? Medea would make an excellent troll, I reckon. Hell, I reckon the reason she compared Archer to Shirou after her first battle with Archer in Unlimited Blade Works was to troll Archer. Which makes me wonder whether Archer's attempt to kill Shirou afterwards was less to do with his frustration with his past self and more venting frustration he felt towards Medea. Medea is a character dear to my heart, and I love giving her nuances she didn't quite have in canon, but seem plausible.

Chrishargrave: While I'm not a fan of Star Trek, I'm kicking myself for not making the comparison. Actually, while writing Griphook's reasonable response to Harry's insult, I was thinking of a similar line from Episode 10 of Final Fantasy VII Machinabridged where Cloud calls Rufus a son of a bitch, to which Rufus proudly retorts that he's an heir to a bastard, referring to his rather evil father.

1. This comes from Misato's advice to Shinji and Asuka in Gregg Landsman's superlative Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfic Nobody Dies.

2. I'm thinking of Artemis emulating the infamous gesture of Yuno Gasai from Future Diary. You know which one…albeit less psychotic and more adorable. In fact, having read the first volume of the manga, I'm thinking closer to Yuno's pose in the manga rather than the one in the anime…