Author's Note: The people have voted! And I have finally decided! This is now officially a HarryLuna! Yay! Whooo! Cheers all around! Sorry, all you slashers; but I finally decided on Luna. Don't worry, though, Draco and Lucas are still gonna be good friends with Harry. Thank you so so so so so much, all of you who polled. It has officially been taken down and you're votes really helped me decide. Special thanks to Slytherin 66; you gave me some good ideas for the HarryLuna, and I think I know how to write it now. Thanks, also, to all my reviewers; I welcome all comments and questions. Anyways, here's Chapter 11.
Disclaimer: How many of us fanfiction readers/writers aspire to own our favorite series? A whole lot. How many of us do? None. Things aren't gonna change any time soon, so no, I do not own Harry Potter. *A sad fanfiction disclaimer*
Chapter 11
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
"NO."
"Are we there yet?"
"NO! Sweet Merlin, you're being so annoying. I'm not sure you're worth pursuing. Are you always like this?" Lucas said, looking at Harry in mild irritation.
"Pretty much all the time, so you can go ahead and stop pursuing me now." Harry tried not to look too hopeful.
Lucas looked Harry up and down and gave an appreciative smile. "I don't know; you still might be worth it."
Harry just glared. "Flirt as much as you want; just take me to the court."
Lucas laughed, still pulling Harry down the dark corridor. Harry groaned. This was taking forever. They must have been down here for an hour at least. Suddenly, Lucas stopped again in the middle of the hallway. He touched his wand to the wall, (1) and another staircase opened up, shedding light down the corridor.
Lucas turned off the light on his wand and quickly stuffed it in his back pocket. Then he grabbed Harry's hand and dragged him up the stairs. They came out in a large lighted hallway made out of dirty, white marble.
"Where are we?" Harry asked hesitantly, not sure whether they were there yet or if they had longer to go.
"Yep, this is the werewolf court, or, at least, a hallway in the werewolf court building. My dad should be in the room down this hallway and through the door to your right, talking to emissaries, making decisions, and being, well, leaderish."
"Er, ok," Harry said with a smile. They were finally there.
They were walking down the hallway when, suddenly, a group of teenagers Harry assumed were werewolves came out of a door to the left and started approaching him and Lucas. Harry felt Lucas stiffen a little before relaxing and smiling at the group. Harry immediately pulled his hood up to cover his forehead and hair before looking at the group interestedly. He felt like he was on some sort of spy mission, deep in enemy territory, and was about to be compromised. It was silly, he knew, but then again, more than half of the werewolves here would just love to rip his throat out; so he had the right to feel a little paranoid.
He studied the group approaching them. There were three of them, two boys and a girl. One of the boys had an arm casually strung around the girl's waist. He was tall and thin with short black hair and brown eyes and a face that looked as if it smiled easily. The girl had long brown hair and grey eyes. The last boy in back had light blond hair and blue eyes. HE looked like an even angstier and moodier version of Draco Malfoy. Huh, so there were people like that wherever you go. The boy in front stopped chatting amiably with the girl when he caught sight of Lucas.
"Lucas, hey, how are you, man? I thought you were going out to the club today." The boy ran up to Lucas with a huge smile, dragging the girl and boy along with him. Lucas let out a laugh.
"Hey, Connor, good to see you too." He stepped forward and smiled at the girl and Mr. Dark and Brooding. "Hi, Lexy, Jeff. How you guys doin?"
Lexy, apparently, gave Lucas a big smile and a hug and a "Good, Lucas." Jeff just nodded his head towards Lucas, who looked like he hadn't expected any more than that. Jeff? A werewolf named Jeff? You'd think this would surprise Harry more, but with after "Juan and Cindy the dementor," Harry found very few names that misleading.
"Anyways," Connor cut into Harry's thoughts excitedly. "Answer my question. Why are you here? You were just complaining the other day about how you're always stuck in here, and now you come back willingly on a day you have permission to not be here. Seriously, what's up?"
Lucas gave an exasperated sigh and pointed his thumb towards Harry. "I met him at the club, and he needs to talk to dad." All three of them looked suitably shocked.
"But, Lucas," Lexy began cautiously, "You hardly ever take people to see your dad. You hate being used as an errand boy, and when you do, they're always, like, way up there in the hierarchy."
"Yeah, who's he that you'd take him to see your dad just after meeting him in a bar?" Connor asked, staring at Harry curiously. "You're usually so careful who you take to talk to him. I mean, I can count on one hand the amount of outsiders you'll take to see him." Lexy nodded in agreement, and Jeff just stared at Harry suspiciously. Lucas sighed again.
"He's - Mrrrgh –!" Harry stepped forward, covering Lucas' mouth and reached his free hand out towards Connor.
"Tim the Enchanter, nice to meet you." Lucas snorted under Harry's hand, and Harry sent him a look that dared him to argue. Connor looked at Harry strangely before shaking his hand, as did Lexy.
"Well…my name's Connor; this pretty lady is Lexy, and the grouch in the back is Jeff. So how'd you convince Luc to bring you here?"
Harry grinned. "I was at the bar looking for someone from your clan, fell off my chair; and Lucas helped me up. Then I saw his tattoo, and we, well, let's just say I gave a convincing argument as to why he should bring me here." The three stared at Harry disbelievingly, and Lucas snorted again under Harry's hand.
"Yh anff ef o mi and ow, rry." He mumbled under Harry's hand.
"What?" Harry quirked an eyebrow, removing his hand.
"I said, 'You can let go of my mouth now.'" Lucas turned to his friends, grabbed Harry's hand, and started walking again. "Look, I'll tell you guys the full story later; right now, I need to get H – Tim to my dad, okay?" By the time he was finished speaking, Lucas and Harry were already halfway down the hall.
"Okay," Connor called, "But I want all the detail later. Bye Tim!"
"It was nice meeting you, Tim," Lexy yelled back. Jeff just glared. Harry glared right back and was happy to see the boy look away after a few seconds. Lucas looked at Harry in disbelief.
"You just pit-glared Jeff. That's impossible."
"Yes, well, impossible things tend to happen to me, remember?" Harry snapped back, a little snappishly. His self-respect had just taken a swan dive. 'Tim the Enchanter. Oh, just kill me now,' Harry thought miserably.
Lucas led Harry to the end of the hallway, and they walked through the door…right into the middle of a werewolf council meeting. All the inhabitants of the room stopped and stared immediately upon the intrusion. Harry quickly surveyed the room. The man Harry assumed was Rupert, Lucas' "Father," was sitting in a large chair in the middle of the room talking with a balding werewolf standing next to him. Harry noted there were four other werewolves in the room.
Two were guards, mirroring the ruler's chair. The next one stood across the room, and Harry recognized him. It was Fenrir Greyback. Good thing Harry had a hood. The next man, standing opposite of Fenrir, was … oh, come on!
'Someone must really hate me up there.' Harry grumbled, eyes turned skyward.
It was Remus Lupin. Thank God for hoods! Harry turned to hide behind Lucas. All the people in the room stared questioningly at the two boys. Rupert sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Lucas, why did you interrupt our meeting; and who is that?" Lucas grabbed Harry out from behind him and pushed the reluctant boy up towards the ruler, following closely behind. Harry kept one eye on the werewolf. He wouldn't put it past Lucas to cop a feel while he was up there. Luckily for Harry, though, Lucas had all his attention focused on his father, face serious.
"Father, I brought him here because he has a proposition for you. Now, before I tell you who he is, or he tells you his proposition, you need to promise me he'll have diplomatic immunity. Meaning that no matter what, you have to let him leave here safely." Harry felt a newfound respect for Lucas. He hadn't even thought about what might have happened if the talk had gone south. Rupert looked at Harry and Lucas appraisingly before sighing again.
"Very well, Lucas, I promise – "
"NO, wizard swear, an unbreakable vow." Rupert looked extremely surprised at this, but conceded any how, allowing Lucas to cast the spell on him.
"I, Rupert, lord of the West End Clan, promise to allow this young man to leave here safely, no matter how our negotiations go."
Lucas nodded approvingly and smiled, breaking the spell. "Well, then," Lucas reached up to Harry and knocked off his hood, as Harry protested. What was the point of a hood if you just tell them who he was? Harry heard a gasp and a growl from behind him. "Father, this is Harry Potter."
Lupin POV (Yay! Perspective change!)
I listened as Lord Rupert and his steward talked over the rising food prices. I was there as a representative for the light side and the Order. We know the West End Clan had already given themselves to Voldemort, but, still, they were one of the largest werewolf clans out there; so we had to try. It was very boring. I focused more on the … beast besides me, Fenrir Greyback.
I wanted nothing more than to hex him into oblivion. He was the one who turned me! I felt a snarl rising in my chest and tried to suppress it when, suddenly, the door slammed open; and the lord's son Lucas came in, dragging a strangely familiar looking boy with him. I sniffed the air delicately. The boy's scent wafted towards me. He smelled familiar. He smelled like home, like pack. I tried to concentrate on where I'd smelled this before, but I just couldn't figure it out.
Everyone stared at the two for a moment before Lord Rupert pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. I don't blame him. From what I've heard, his adoptive son gets into quite a bit of trouble, so this must be usual for him.
"Lucas, why did you interrupt our meeting; and who is that?"
I watched Lucas push the boy out from behind him and up towards his father. Lucas looked at his father, serious for the first time in the several times I'd seen him. "Father, I brought him here because he has a proposition for you. Now, before I tell you who he is, or he tells you his proposition, you need to promise me that he'll have diplomatic immunity. Meaning that, no matter what, you have to let him leave here safely."
I looked at the unknown boy in surprise. Who was he that the son of the clan's leader needed to condition his protection? What did he have to fear form werewolves? (Besides the obvious, I mean.) Whoever he this boy was, he had to be important.
Rupert sighed again; I felt for him; I really did. "Very well, Lucas, I promise – "
"NO, wizard swear, an unbreakable vow." My eyebrows shot up incredulously. Lucas had interrupted his father, (something that I'd never seen done) and he wanted him to swear an unbreakable vow. Those were, well, unbreakable. Rupert looked as surprised as I was.
"I, Rupert, lord of the West End Clan, promise to allow this young man to leave here safely, no matter how our negotiations go."
Lucas looked quite relieved at this. "Well, then," he reached up and pulled the hood off his protesting companions head. "Father, this is Harry Potter."
Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Harry. It was Harry. That's why he smelled so familiar. But wait, it wasn't just that. I'd smelled him somewhere recently, but where? He looked good, especially for someone with no money or (as far as we know) place to stay. I felt a flash of panic rise at the thought of Harry sleeping on the streets, but I pushed it down. He was also wearing new clothes. I immediately thought of transfiguration before I remembered he didn't have a wand. I wondered a second if he stole them before I banished the thought from my head. The Harry I know wouldn't steal…but then again, I don't really know this Harry. Did I ever really know Harry? I mean, I helped send him to Azkaban. I know that without a doubt, if I really had known Harry, I would never have thought he was guilty.
I looked at him longingly. We needed to talk, to figure things out. We needed to come to some sort of understanding. And most of all, I have things I need to tell him, things that he needs to know in order to defeat Voldemort. I don't care if he never forgives us; he's still my cub, pack, family; and I will protect him.
Harry looked extremely annoyed at Lucas. He looked around the room, and when his gaze rested on me, he glared. I winced involuntarily. I couldn't blame him for being angry, hurt, and disgusted; but, still, the blatant hatred in his gaze hurt. Suddenly, I heard a snarling to my left. Turning, I saw Fenrir Greyback baring his teeth at my cub. Before I cold even draw my wand, he launched himself at Harry, wand out, and teeth bared. But then, before I could blink, the two werewolf guards slammed into Fenrir, holding him at bay. Snarling, insults and obscenities burst form his throat as he tried to get at Harry. The lord Rupert growled at Fenrir, eyes flashing dangerously.
"I gave my word that this visitor, Harry Potter or not, would not be harmed."
"But he's the Potter brat. He's the one the Dark Lord wants. It's my duty as a death eater to deliver the brat to him. You are a supporter of the Dark Lord; you should –"
"I should what? Break my wizard's oath? Be quiet before I make you leave." Rupert turned to look at Harry, who was glaring at Fenrir. Rupert didn't look angry at Harry, just puzzled. I felt relief wash through me at this. "And you. What proposition do you have that's so important that you have my son risking himself and you by bringing you here?" Harry glanced around the room suspiciously.
"Before I tell you, can we be alone? I don't want … certain people to hear it." He looked at Fenrir when he said that, but, I swear, he glanced towards me as well. I couldn't help flinching. The guards holding Fenrir positively bristled at this, and Fenrir snarled again. I think I may have whimpered. Rupert looked hesitant at this, and Harry sighed. "Look, Lucas can stay, seeing as he is your heir and all; but can't you make everyone else leave? Yes, even the guards. Surely you two big manly werewolves can handle one puny little wizard like me? I mean, I don't even have a wand. It was snapped, remember?"
I couldn't help it; I flinched. My cub was out there, alone, without a wand. And it was our entire fault, mine included. That went against every protective instinct inside my body. Rupert sighed exasperatedly.
"Very well," he summoned more guards with a snap of his fingers. Immediately, Greyback and I (Ugh, I hate being associated with him, even just in a sentence) began yelling in protest. The guards pulled Greyback from the room and began removing me too.
"Wait, wait, Harry, please!" I cried desperately, trying to reach Harry. He just looked anywhere but me. As they pulled me away, I liked to think that maybe, just maybe, he felt bad about sending me away. But, somehow, I doubted it. And who could blame him?
Author's Note: (1) Which still does not exist. He touched an illusion.
So what did you think? The Lunamance won't be for another couple chapters, but it will be a HarryLuna. Bye, keep reading. And review if you dare. (Please dare)