AN: I was going to stop posting here because of all the recent issues and due to some unacceptable Flames left by reviewers who didn't bother to read all the warnings on my fics. However, several of my friends have talked me back into posting my crossovers here at as long as no other big issues crop up. I do reserve the right to remove my stories if people continue to disregard common courtesy. For those wondering all my other non-crossover stories will be posted on AO3 and my LJ. There is a link to all my other posting sites on my Profile.
Timeline Info: Chapter 11 takes place directly after episode 1.09
Chapter 11: Moe'uhane
Hilton Hawaiian Village, Oahu; Hawaii
Steve was ready to call tomorrow a vacation day for the whole team after the show down they just went through. Unfortunately that wouldn't happen. They were still in charge of getting the General and his family safely to the plane at Hickman Air force Base that would take him from the Aid Summit to Washington DC where he would give his deposition before the UN. Steve had hated having to ask Kono and Chin to escort SWAT in taking the General and his family to a safe house for the night, but he had been forced to go to the ER to verify that the wounds he had sustained weren't life threatening. Normally he would have just let the EMT that SWAT called patch him up, but Harry just looked so concerned about him that he allowed the EMTs to take him and Harry to the hospital.
Danny had promised to take Hedwig until they were back at the house and to get them a hotel room for the night while they were getting Steve looked over. Steve would have been alright with staying at the house but Danny had pulled him aside while the EMTs checked Harry over and told him that letting Harry stay at the house overnight after all of this wasn't a good idea. He had tried to explain to Steve that while Harry seemed alright, he was likely to feel unsafe in the house while the signs of the fight were still so visible. Danny had explained how the battle could have been very traumatizing for a kid Harry's age, especially one who had recently lost family. Steve kind of understood it but at the same time he kept remembering how focused and calm Harry had been during the attack. He hadn't seemed at all afraid. But Steve was too tired to argue with Danno over it so he had simply agreed.
Danny had at first offered to let them crash at his place, but Steve had just looked at him and asked where they would all sleep. Danny had sighed but agreed that three of them in the little room he called an apartment wasn't going to be comfortable. So in the end Danny had just told Steve he would get them a hotel. A quick call to the hotel later and they had been set up in a room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village for the next week until the house could be fixed back up. Of course when the Governor found out she had changed the reservation.
Steve was honestly a little surprised by how worried the Governor had been over what had happened. He certainly hadn't expected her to come down to the hospital in the middle of the night to make sure he was okay. Which, of course, he was. Other than a deep cut to his arm from the knife fight, he was mostly bruised. No bullet wounds or concussions as Danny and Harry had been worried about. Danny had a torn shirt but was otherwise unharmed. Harry had a small gash on his forehead from where he got hit by the butt of one of the bad guy's guns after Steve had dashed outside to find Nick. Other than the gash, Harry was fine, not even shook up, which surprised Steve, although it really shouldn't have. Still he felt guilty for putting Harry in that situation and for getting him hurt. He wanted so badly to protect Harry and make sure he didn't have to go through things like that, that put his life on the line. Harry was such a good kid and he had already lived through more than he ever should have.
The guilt from getting Harry hurt only got worse when the Governor showed up at the hospital. Steve had seen the way she looked at him, obviously worried and more than a little haggard as she had still been in her pajamas, only covered by a long black dress jacket. She had spent almost twenty minutes talking to him about what had happened, how badly everyone was injured, and what kind of property damage his house took. Once she seemed to realize that he was alive and relatively fine, she had gone over to check on Harry. Steve could honestly say he hadn't expected her to care quite so much about his health, or Harry's, who she had never met before. But it was obvious that she cared for Steve and that even though she didn't know Harry, she cared that he had been injured.
Harry had blushed and stammered as she talked with him and Steve couldn't help but grin as Harry kept trying to fix his hair to hide his scar. Whether the Governor saw the scar or not, she didn't comment on it, only asked him how he was feeling and if he was otherwise having a good time in Hawaii. Eventually, she had walked off to go speak with Danny who was waiting for them to be done so that he could give them a lift to the hotel. At the time Steve hadn't known it, but he had found out once they checked in that the Governor had told Danny to send her the bill for the hotel stay. Steve wasn't sure he could have written it off as a work expense but he would have tried, still it irked his pride a bit that she had just swooped in and covered it for him. Danny had of course, smacked him upside the head and told him to stop being a goof and to take the gift as a sign that all was right in the world again.
He still didn't think it was necessary though. Harry and he would have been fine in a basic resort room. They didn't need her to sweep in to pay for the room and get them an upgrade to a rainbow tower ocean front room. He loved the view of Diamond Head they had but it wasn't needed. They would both be out of the room most of the day, even if he kept Harry out of school tomorrow.
Steve sighed and rolled onto his stomach and closed his eyes, trying to stop thinking long enough to go to sleep. They would have to see if they could get some cheap lumber to replace the damaged portions of the house and then there was the actual construction. It wouldn't be any fun, but they needed to get the house repaired and maybe he should ask Professor Dumbledore to explain a bit more about the Wards as well. Seeing that one guy burst into a pile of ash had been a bit disconcerting, even if it was very effective at holding back the mercenaries. He should be able to get the little damage the house had taken fixed in a day, maybe two at most. So, the upgrade to a room with such an expensive view hadn't been needed. Although, maybe he could swing a couple extra days at the hotel so that Harry and Grace could go swimming in the pools they saw when they checked in. It looked like there were a lot of different pools and he was sure Grace would love the waterslides. Danny might be a bit PO'd about his daughter being seen in a bathing suit, but he would be happy that his little girl was having fun. Plus it might make Harry feel a bit better after seeing the shoot out. Harry might not have been scared too badly or even at all, but Steve wanted to do something to make sure Harry understood Steve would do everything in his power to keep it from happening again.
Frustrated and too tired to sleep Steve lifted his upper body off the bed and punched the pillow, hoping that would make it easier to fall asleep. Not that long ago he would have been able to fall asleep instantly anywhere. Now he was having a hard time falling asleep in a luxury hotel because the pillow was too soft, and the mattress firmer than the one at home. He had grown soft. Grunting in displeasure he rolled over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling of the hotel room.
Minutes passed, maybe even hours, in the quiet darkness of the room. It didn't feel right being here, so close to home but so far away. He wanted to get up, to pace the corners of the room, to run out to the water and swim until his arms and legs felt like they were made of lead. He couldn't. He needed to stay here for Harry. Steve closed his eyes again and tried to will his muscles to relax so that his body might drift into sleep.
A soft creek of light footsteps echoed in the dark room around him and Steve opened his eyes, looking towards the sound. "Harry?"
Harry shuffled nervously and looked at Steve, his eyes a bit too wide and his skin a bit too pale. "Can I…" Harry looked down at the ground, tugging at the hem of his t-shirt.
Steve sat up and lifted the edge of the blanket. "Come on, you can stay with me tonight."
Harry's gaze jerked up to his and Steve's could see the relief fill those green eyes, Lily's eyes.
Steve smiled at Harry who slowly took another step closer, paused as if waiting for Steve to change his mind, but when Steve didn't lower the blanket back down; Harry rushed forward and crawler in alongside Steve. Steve smiled and lowered the blanket back over them both before lying down; Harry curled into his side, his head resting against Steve's chest as if he needed the reassurance of Steve's heartbeat to fully relax. "Just relax, Harry, I'm right here."
"I saw you…" Harry's voice trembled. "You were fighting that guy again but he shot you. He shot you and you didn't get up and there was blood every where. Then he shot Kono and me and…and then Danno and Chin were running towards us but he shot them too!"
Steve felt his heart thump heavy in his chest and reached his hand up to card through Harry's hair. "It was just a dream, Harry. I'm safe. Kono, Chin and Danny are safe too. I promise."
"You were all dead but I was still alive, just watching you all die while he laughed and laughed and then," Harry swallowed again, his whole body trembling against Steve's own. "Then he changed and he looked like the Tom Riddle from the Diary that tried to kill Ginny and me. He was just laughing and then everything just started turning black and it felt like someone was sitting on my chest, choking me while he laughed!"
"Shhh…It's alright now, Harry." Steve leaned his head down to place a kiss on the top of his cousin's head, gently squeezing him. "Do you want me to call them so you can talk to them? See that they're all okay?"
"No. I'm just being silly."
"It's not silly to be scared after the events at the house, Harry. I bet they would all like to hear how worried you are about them."
Harry sighed, more of the tension in his body relaxing away as Steve's continued to card his fingers through Harry's hair and hold him tight. They might get too warm sleeping so closely pressed together, but Steve could handle it. He wanted to protect Harry, even if only from nightmares. He doubted Petunia or her husband had ever done so for Harry while they had him in their house. Leaning his head back and staring into the darkness again Steve began to sing, softly and hesitatingly as he dredged up the memories of songs his Mother used to sing to him as a child when he had bad dreams. It left him a little melancholy just as it always did when he remembered her, but he knew she would want him to sing to Harry. She would have loved him.
Slowly Harry's breathing slowed and deepened as he drifted off to sleep in Steve's arms, leaving a warmth filling a place long empty in Steve's heart.
- - - HP - - - H50 - - -
The Next Morning, Hilton Hawaiian Village; Oahu
Harry woke up slowly, his thoughts a jumble of sensations and half remembered dreams. His mind felt hazy with contentment and safety. Nuzzling against the warmth beneath his cheek Harry let himself slowly wake, the sound of a steady thumping in his ears and a weight on his side filtered through his mind. His pillow was warm, warmer then usual and not nearly as soft as the one at Steve's, but it left him feeling safe and happy in a way he normally didn't feel upon waking. The weight over his side squeezed him briefly as Harry let his eyes flicker open, taking in the broad stretch of golden skin that his head was resting on.
"Did you sleep okay, Harry?"
Harry blinked and shifted so that he could look up at his cousin, on whom he was sprawled half atop, his head having been resting over Steve's heart. "I guess, better with you."
Harry blushed and looked away, unable to hold that intense gaze. The emotion filling those eyes was almost too much, too powerful for Harry who wasn't used to anyone feeling so strongly for him unless it was to feel shame and disgust.
"Good." Steve's hand lifted from his side to stroke through his hair again and Harry leaned into the touch, feeling almost as if he could purr in delight from the gentle, loving contact. "Why don't we get up and go get some breakfast? Then we can head to the house…" Steve paused as he felt Harry tense in his arm. "Actually, why don't I ask Danno to pick us up a change of clothes and some board shorts? Maybe he can get Grace for the day and we can all go swimming in the pool downstairs?"
Harry let out a gusty breath, leaving goose pimples across Steve's skin. "Yeah…that'd be good."
Steve smiled, wide and joyful. "Alright, I'll give Danno a call while you go take a quick shower, okay."
Harry rolled off Steve and sat up; yawning so wide and long he could feel his jaw give a little pop. "Okay." Harry rubbed at his eyes and blinked. Squinting around the room he realized that when he wandered in during the night he must have left his glasses by his bed. Lips pressed into a frown of concentration, he slowly made his way out of the space and over to where his own bedroom was located. His glasses should still be on the little table by the bed.
Steve watched Harry stumble a bit as he made his way out of the room, still a little sleepy Steve would guess. It had been a long night for everyone and Harry's nightmare hadn't made his rest for the first half of the night any easier. Sighing he ran his hands back through his hair before finding his cargo pants and the cell still lost in the depths of one of the pockets. Danny would be pissed about being called so early in the day after getting maybe five hours of sleep and Steve couldn't blame him if his partner was angry. The last twenty-four hours had been crazy stressful for everyone and they all needed a couple days to relax and recharge.
"Steve," asked a confused, mildly irritated voice in his ear.
Blinking Steve realized he had spaced out for a moment and had autodialed Danny. "Yeah, I'm here."
"I've barely gotten four, maybe five, hours of sleep. Why the fuck are you calling me?"
"You were right. Harry didn't do so well last night."
"Shit." Steve could practically see Danny rolling off the god awful sofa bed, hand pressing into his eyes as he groaned. "Is he doing okay now?"
"Better, but not back to the happy kid we've had the last couple weeks." Steve glanced towards the door to the room as he heard the water in the bathroom start. "I was thinking…"
"Now that's dangerous, babe. You sure you should be doing that," teased Danny.
"Har-de-har-har, Danno." Steve felt some of the tension drain out of his shoulders at the soft chuckle coming from the other end of the line. "I was thinking it might do Harry some good if we all took a couple extra days off. Maybe you could see if Rachel would let you have Grace a day early this week and we could all go to the pool here?"
Danny sighed again and Steve tried not to wince. He knew Danny and Rachel were arguing again and mostly about Harry. Steve didn't understand what Rachel had against him but he had begun to think, from comments she had dropped while yelling at Danny, that she knew who and what Harry was. Steve couldn't blame her if she did and the fear that one of the terrorist wizards after Harry might decide to target Grace as well. But he wished she would understand that there were plenty of non-magical people out there who would be wiling to hurt Grace and not just because of who her family and ohana were.
"I'll ask, babe. But I can't promise anything."
"Thanks, Danno. I think it would do a world of good for Harry to have someone like Grace around to focus on right now. I think the General Pak situation brought up some bad memories for Harry."
"That's not too surprising. Honestly, Steve, I'm surprised at how calm he was during the shootout. A normal kid Harry's age would have been terrified into pissing themselves."
"Well, Harry isn't normal."
"No, he's a baby Super SEAL in training."
Steve smiled. "I'm telling him you said that."
"Go ahead. He loves me, so I'm safe."
"You sure about that? His Mom had a wicked temper when provoked and his Dad was one hell of a prankster."
Danny chuckled again and Steve heard him grunt, the sound of fabric moving against fabric in the background. "I'll give Rachel a call and see if I can pick up Grace today instead of tomorrow. Once I know if I'll still be allowed to have her this weekend I'll call you back."
"Danno, why…"
"Steve, the shootout was all over the news. Rachel is going to be bat-shit crazy about all of this." Danny sighed and Steve waited as he heard Danny pull a shirt on. "I wish I could promise you better, Steve. I really do. But Rachel has always been a bit crazy where my job is concerned and Five-0 is a hell of a lot more dangerous than what I did back in Jersey."
"I know," Steve said sadly. He really wished Rachel could understand why Danny had to do this. Why he risked his life every day. Maybe if she understood that he did it for Grace and even for her, she would just give in a little and let Danny spend more time with his daughter.
"Hey. Babe…It'll be fine. I'll call Rachel and meet you at the hotel. You two need anything?"
"Some extra clothes, Harry doesn't want to go back to the house just yet."
"I can do that. Give me an hour and I'll be there."
Steve closed his eyes, a fond warmth spreading through his chest. "Thanks, Danno."
- - - HP - - - H50 - - -
Steve's House; Oahu
Danny pulled up to the house a little over fifteen minutes later; wincing at the damage he could see through the windows. The outside of the house looked untouched from the front thanks to the wards, but even from here he could see scorch marks on the wall from Harry's spells, holes from stray bullets and even a few pictures on the walls that had broken glass and new blood stains. There was something sad about pulling up here and seeing a place he had so many fond memories of being reversed back into a crime scene. It was like that first day he met Steve all over again.
Danny sighed and got out of the Camero, closing the door and beeping the alarm. There were days when Danny was tempted to ask Steve if he had thought of selling this place and getting a place of his own. A place that wasn't full of painful memories. Sometimes Danny felt like this place was a time capsule of pain and grief. There was little changed in the house from when Danny had first walked in to study the scene of Steve's father's death. Steve's old childhood room had been redone for Harry; a new blanket was on the sofa, which after last night's firefight was going to have to be replaced. A pity, that sofa had been incredibly comfortable. But other than that, much of the place had been left untouched by Steve once it had been cleaned up that the HPD crime scene cleaner crew.
Danny punched in the code for the house's non-magical security system, Harry's birthday, and headed inside. Steve's duffle bag should still be in his closet and Danny knew Harry's would be in the hall closet where the coats should be. He could grab them and get enough clothes packed, along with Harry's school supplies, and be out of the house in under an hour. Smiling at the thought of heading back to the hotel and spending the day with the two of them having fun in the water, Danny went to the closet. Inside was the battered old trunk that had held all of Harry's school things from Hogwarts. On top of it was the small suitcase that the London Police had acquired for Harry. Carefully pulling both out and setting them aside he rubbed at his back and silently wished that Steve was here to help. The trunk was still mostly full with all of Harry supplies from his previous years at Hogwarts, along with many of the old hand-me-down clothes, his school uniform and his Quidditch robes. It was a heavy item and Danny wasn't looking forward to carrying it out to his car.
Heading up the stairs Danny decided to stop in Harry's room first. He could grab at least four days worth of clothes, plus his pajamas and board shorts. If Harry needed anymore Danny or Steve could come back, but Danny was hopeful all the repairs would be completed by that time.
Carefully putting the clothes in the small suitcase, Danny went next to Harry's bedside drawer to look for one of the stashes of owl treats that were hidden around the house. Danny found it amusing, he really did. Steve had weapons hidden all over the house and his little cousin had owl treats and some non-perishable food hidden about the house. The look on Steve's face the first time he opened the cabinet in the study where he had previously hidden a pair of shock grenades, only to find a large bag of magical preserved mouse bits in its place was beyond hilarious. Steve had looked completely confused and disgusted, but had been unable to do anything but put them back for fear that he might hurt Harry's feelings by moving them.
Danny had of course taken a picture while Steve was frozen with indecision, and sent it to both Chin and Kono. The two had posted copies of the now famous "disgusted mouse face" about Steve's office for almost three days, until Steve had snapped and threatened bodily harm to anyone he found posting the picture around the office. Danny of course had tested that by giving Harry a copy and asking him if he wanted to keep it. Harry had smiled, found a frame who knows where, and brought the picture in and put it on Steve's desk. Danny thought it cute since Steve had hidden the picture behind his desk next to a picture of the Five-0 team, a picture of Steve's parents on their wedding day, a picture of Steve and Hedwig having yet another staring contest and a picture of Steve and Harry at the beach. Danny liked the last picture best even though Steve often had to hide it, as it was a magical photo and actually showed a smiling Steve twirling around in a circle with a laughing Harry in his arms. Danny hoped to see many more photos like that filling up Steve's office and the walls at his house. Danny hoped in fact, that he could get some good pictures of the four of them today.
Shoving the bag into the suitcase, Danny went to leave the bedroom only to stop suddenly as he felt a surge of energy shoot up from the floor, through his feet and out the top of his head, making all his hair stand on end. Through the window he could see a wave of green light shoot up from the ground floor and head towards the roof, followed closely by a violet color wave. Again he felt the energy following the wave of light shoot up through his body, making him shiver.
Dropping the suitcase on the bed, Danny moved over to the window, brushing his hair back into place as he went. Outside he could see that crazy old man that was in charge of Harry's school standing alongside a very short bearded man, was it Flitwit or something that Harry had called the man? Anyway, beside those two, who were already strange enough to stand out in a crowd, was a third man who looked like a bum. Really, even from here Danny could see how worn and faded his cloths were. His face was covered in scars and his hair going gray at the temples even though his face still looked young behind the scars. The man couldn't be much older, or younger, than Steve was.
Popping open the window Danny leaned out, yelling down at Dumbledore, "What are you doing?"
The short man and the bum both jumped, clearly startled by the sound of Danny's voice yelling down at them. Dumbledore just looked up and smiled, one hand giving Danny a jaunty little wave. "Good morning, Daniel!"
Danny sighed and dropped his elbows onto the windowsill. "What are you three doing? The whole place feels electrified."
Dumbledore blinked. "You felt us testing the wards?"
"Was that what you were doing?"
"Yes." Dumbledore tugged thoughtfully at his beard. "Perhaps we should speak inside."
Danny rolled his eyes and stepped back from the window, shutting it firmly before grabbing the suitcase and heading out of the room. With a sigh he headed back down the stairs to where he had left Harry's trunk, dropping the suitcase on top of it before going to the front door where Dumbledore and the other two were waiting.
"Ah, Daniel, I am glad to see you are well. When the monitoring spell went off notifying me that the wards had been breached I was quite worried. I do hope everyone is alright?"
Relaxing a bit, Danny nodded and waved them in towards the kitchen. "Do you want any tea?"
"Please." Dumbledore smiled and the other two follow him and Danny further into the house, looking about as they went.
"So you got warning that the wards went off," asked Danny in a tone that verged on too polite.
"Yes." Dumbledore sighed as he let his body sink into the wooden chair at the kitchen table. "Unfortunately I cannot apparate such a great distance and the Ministry was not especially speedy in creating me a pass to portkey into Oahu. Transcontinental Portkeys are a tricky thing to come by, I'm afraid."
Danny scowled at the battered old teapot as the water boiled. He understood little of what the old wizard had said but he thought he caught the gist of it. "Too much red tape."
"Quite so." Dumbledore glanced over at the other two men, the shorter of the two who was currently spelling his chair to lift him high enough to see over the top of the table. "Daniel, you remember Professor Flitwick. And this is Professor Remus Lupin; he was a close friend of Harry's father."
"Hi," Danny said reaching out to shake each mans hand.
Remus gripped his hand and for a moment Danny saw a flicker of gold in his eyes. "Harry's okay?"
"He's fine. A little worked up but uninjured. He held together far better than I would ever expect a kid his age to." Danny poured the tea into four cups before moving to join them at the table, handing the cups out to the others.
"This is quite good," chimed in Professor Flitwick.
Danny tried not to smirk at the look of surprise on the little wizard's face. "My ex-wife was British, and very particular about her tea."
"Ah." Flitwick smiled into his tea, watching Danny over the rim of the cup.
"What happened, exactly," asked Dumbledore.
"I would like to know that as well," growled Lupin.
Danny arched an eyebrow at the scared man. "We were assigned a protective deal for a foreign dignitary and some mercenaries decided they wanted to kill him. We had to hole up here to try and wait for some back-up as the people assigned as our back-up were working as the mercenary assassins." Danny took a drink of his tea, carefully watching the reactions of the wizards. "Harry was already home from school. The mercenaries attacked the house, the wards held them back, even turned one man who wandered into the wards while on fire into a pile of ash."
"Ah, that would explain it. The wards would have tried to push people back with a warning, but if one approached while being a true danger the wards would have taken immediate action."
"So a guy on fire was a danger but the guys with grenades and guns weren't," questioned Danny.
"It appears so. Did the men with guns stop shooting once the ward defended you?"
Danny thought back to last night. "Yeah they stopped firing and stepped back to await further orders."
Dumbledore nodded. "Then that is why they were not killed."
"That's all well and good, but I want to know why Harry should be staying here if he's getting shot at in his home," demanded Remus, his eyes going fully gold.
Danny shivered as he looked into those eyes, his mind flashing back to the wolves he had seen in the zoo as a child. Stiffening his spine, and squaring his shoulders, Danny faced down that feral golden stare. "Here he gets his own room rather than a closet beneath the stairs. Here he gets three meals a day rather than a slice of bread and a glass of water. Here he gets clothes that fit. Here he doesn't get beaten for simply existing. Here he has family, Ohana, who love him, people who would fight and die for him." Danny pressed his palms into the table top and leaned across the table, glaring at the man with the wolf eyes.
Remus glared back, his eyes wild with a feral rage before grief seemed to collapse him inward. "They did that to him?"
Danny let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding since he stopped yelling. "They did. But he's safe now."
Remus nodded, his hands holding the teacup were shaking. "You are willing to protect him?"
"Against anything and anyone, Five-0 protects it's own and Harry is one of ours."
Remus looked up at him again, something in his eyes that Danny recognized on a deep internal level. It was a look he had seen in Steve's eyes before. The look of a man who had lost everything only to have a flicker of hope placed just within his grasp. "Thank you."
Danny nodded and sat back down.
"Well," the other Professor, Flitwick, looked between Danny and Remus. "It is good news that everyone is in good health, but it looks as if the house took some damage."
"Yeah, once they got past the wards they shot at anything they could if they thought it might take one of us down. Fortunately they missed and Harry used some spell that summoned all their weapons to us. Or at least it got most of their weapons." Danny glanced at the wall beyond them to where a row of bullet holes left the wall looking like Swiss cheese.
"If you would like the Headmaster and me could fix the damage?"
Danny flicked his gaze between the two older wizards. "Are you sure?"
"Of course, the damage is not as bad as it appears, at least to a wizard." Professor Flitwick smiled up at Danny. "It would be perhaps two hours work. We could repair the damage and I could layer some charms to ensure that the building is sounder. Then you would not need to worry about water damage, or damage done by molds or insects. I could layer on a charm to prevent it from burning in a fire as well?"
"That would-" Danny shook his head, a grin splitting his face. "That would be great of you. Are you sure it wouldn't be a problem?"
Dumbledore gave Danny's shoulder a squeeze. "It would be our pleasure. Consider it an apology for not making it here sooner."
"Thanks." Danny swallowed the last of his tea and pushed his chair back, standing up. "You can stay for as long as you'd like. Just be careful of the weapons Steve has in the house. They should be secured, but still…" Danny shook his head. "I've got to finish getting their stuff and head over to pick up my daughter and then head to the Hilton. You're welcome to come over if you want. Steve, Harry, my daughter Grace and I are going to be there, using the pools all day."
"Perhaps, we shall if time permits. Thank you for the offer, dear boy." Dumbledore smiled again and waved Danny back towards the stairs before turning to the other two wizards.
Danny could hear them going over plans on what magic would be needed and if there was anything that might be added to the wards. Danny found it all very amusing and a bit insane. Until a couple months ago magic had just been a part of the fairy tales he read to his daughter before bed at night. It wasn't real and it certainly couldn't hurt people in the manner he had seen so far. But he was learning to accept it and understand it at least a bit. Helping Harry with his homework had become a team exercise and they had all started reading Harry's old school books to better understand the culture Harry came from and what abilities he and his enemies might have. Danny was sure Steve was waiting for that Snape guy to drop by to ask for some of the books that were bound to exist that were not appropriate for a child. Things containing spells meant for war. He hadn't lied when he said Five-0 was going to protect Harry with everything at their disposal. To do that they needed to know what they faced without blinders on.
Gathering the rest of Steve's clothes and supplies, Danny headed back downstairs. Harry's things were still sitting down at the end of the hall and Danny just sighed at the sight of them. He wasn't looking forward to trying to move that trunk. It was large and heavy and was going to be a bitch to carry on his own, especially with his knee still aching from running around being chased by crazed ex-SEALs.
"Do you need help," asked a quiet voice.
Danny turned to look at Remus Lupin who was standing at the other end of the hall watching him. "You offering?"
Remus nodded and walked closer, watching him with those eerie eyes. "I can shrink the trunk for you? Or put a feather light charm on it."
"I have no idea what that is."
"It's a spell that will make the trunk as light as a feather so that it is easier to move."
"Ah." Danny looked away from Lupin and back to the trunk. "Yeah, that'd be…good."
Remus finally looked away from him, drawing his wand and casting the spell onto the trunk. For a long moment neither man said anything. They just stood there, unable to look at each other.
Danny licked his lips. "I should g…"
"Can I see Harry?"
Danny blinked and turned to look at Lupin. He looked so nervous, his hands twisting in the bottom of his patched up shirt. "Sure."
Lupin's lips twitched and started to pull back, spreading up in a wide excited smile. "Thanks."
Danny nodded unsure what to do as the man spun about and darted back the way he had come, to whichever room the other two wizards were in. Shaking his head, Danny smirked and went to test the spell. Lupin didn't seem like the type to be so easily excitable, but he supposed if Lupin really was a family friend and hadn't seen Harry in who knew how long, then he likely would be excited. Slinging Harry's backpack over his shoulder alongside Steve's duffle, Danny went to try and lift the trunk. He didn't think Lupin was lying about the spell but at the same time he couldn't quite believe that the trunk would actually be as light as a feather and even if it was it was still a large steamer trunk which would be a pain to try and move with. It was awkward sized, especially when being carried by a man Danny's size. The damn thing was almost as big as he was.
Still he was surprised that when he bent down to pick it up it lifted so easily that he fell back against the wall.
- - - HP - - - H50 - - -
2 Hours Later, Hilton Hawaiian Village; Oahu
Steve hated that he pulled Harry out of school but he had to admit it was worth it to see him playing with Grace and Billy in the pool. Finding Billy and Amy Hanamoa in the restaurant when they had gone down for breakfast had been a surprise, but Steve was glad to see they were doing better than they had been last he saw them. Danny had been worried about them not being at their house when he arrived. At least until Amy had reassured him they were alright; that they were having some minor repairs made on the waterline and had decided to stay at the hotel while it was being fixed. Apparently Billy hadn't been sleeping too well recently either, which meant Amy wasn't sleeping well. Something Steve was only just becoming acquainted with since the shoot out. So Amy had used that as an excuse to pull Billy out of class today in the hopes he could wear himself out enough to fall asleep for a while.
Billy had still been a bit shy around Harry and Steve, but after an hour of eating together with Grace and Danny actively trying to make the younger boy feel safe and welcome, Billy had opened up. The three kids had been talking and laughing since they had left the table and headed to the pool, ignoring Danny's demand that they don't get in the water for half an hour at least. Amy had smiled at Danny's concern about the kids getting stomach cramps and waved them into the nearest pool. Steve had just smirked at Danny, and forcibly steered him to an area by the pool that was set up with beach chairs. They could rest and watch the kids from there just fine, and Steve was fairly certain that Amy would enjoy talking with Danny some more.
Steve wasn't really sure how often the two actually talked but he couldn't imagine Danny not checking on her occasionally to make sure Billy and her were doing okay. Danny wasn't the type of man who abandoned his partners or their family, as Steve had learned. He had done a lot for Amy and Meka, there was no question about that and Steve was sure that Danny would do even more if he could. Amy was a strong woman though and Steve could tell she came to Danny for help only because she knew she couldn't save Meka's reputation on her own. She needed Danny and Danny was the kind of guy who needed to be needed.
"So, Commander, I heard about your home being attacked," Amy said looking around Danny to where Steve was lounging. "Is everyone on the team alright?"
Steve winced and glanced away from Harry who was splashing water at Grace and Billy. "Everyone is okay. Just some bumps and bruises, fortunately."
"Good." Amy nodded and looked back over at the kids. "Your son looks like he's dong okay."
"Yeah" Steve smiled and felt something warm growing in his chest, His son. "He had a nightmare about it last night, but otherwise he seems to be doing better than I could expect."
"That's good to hear. He seems like a sweet boy, and it's obvious that Grace likes him." Amy smiled at Steve before looking over at Danny.
Danny chuckled. "I think they are starting to see each other as siblings. Which is nice. I think Grace always hoped that her Mom and I would have had a second child."
"Siblings," Steve asked, looking over at the kids again. Grace and Billy had decided to tag team Harry, jumping onto him and trying to pull him under.
Danny looked at the expression on Steve's face and almost burst out laughing. "You look upset. Were you hoping for something else, babe?"
"I just…they'd be cute together. And then there could be little Williams-Potter babies in the future." Steve pouted looking away from Amy and Danny who were smirking at him, with amused looks in their eyes.
"Aw, babe, they're too young to be thinking of that yet."
"Yeah…" Steve sighed and waved a waiter over and ordered a longboard for both Danny and him, before looking over at Amy who asked for mango lemonade.
Danny watched him carefully. "You did something, didn't you?"
"What? No!" Steve turned to try and glare at Danny.
"Steve." Danny crossed his arms over his chest, his shirt pulling taunt over the broad muscles of his chest, drawing Steve's eyes. "Steve. What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything." Steve tore his gaze away from the tempting sight Danny presented, nervously licking his lips.
"Steve."
"Fine, I may have used a computer program to see what their kids would like look." Steve blushed and looked down at his beer bottle, tugging at a loose corner of the label.
Danny chuckled and nudged Steve with his shoulder. "That's sweet, Steve. But don't do that again. They're still kids and that doesn't last long. I'd like to enjoy it as long as possible."
"Fine" Steve glanced up from his beer, looking over at Danny who was smiling at him. That wide smile that lit up his face and that Steve only really saw when Danny was around Grace.
On the other side of Danny, Amy was smiling to herself. Meka had always been worried about Danny not making friends on the island because of his status as a haole and because he could be rather abrasive. She was glad to see that Danny's new partner really did care about him and was a good friend to her husband's former partner. Of course watching them together she could certainly understand why so many people on the island were sure the two were "partners," not just partners. They certainly did bicker like an old married couple.
Another hour passed much the same, Danny and Steve sharing stories with her about Grace and Harry, other cases they had been working on and the latest bets on who Kono was dating and if Steve's sister Mary (aided by Harry) was going to try chasing off anymore of Steve's "girlfriends." Amy had been left laughing hard enough that she had almost rolled out of the chair at some of the stories Danny had told her about Mary and Harry scarring off the girls Steve brought home. Apparently one had been terrified by "ghosts," another had been asked if she was going to be Harry's new Mommy, and another had asked if she was into threesomes with siblings. Steve had not been particularly happy with that last one and had gotten into quite the argument with Mary about it.
Of course Danny had had to stop telling the stories when the kids had come running out from the pools, wet and happy. The kids had come to have some sliced fruit and check in with Danno and Steve, before running off into another of the nearby pools, so that they could go down the waterslide. Danny, watching his daughter like a hawk had been pulled back into his seat by Steve when a boy had come up and started talking to Grace while she waited in line to go down the slide. Danny had been about to start yelling when Steve had pointed out that Harry was right there to make sure no "riff raff," as Danny was fond of referring to any boy who looked at his daughter, tried anything inappropriate. Danny had grumbled and complained about it, but had sat back in his chair again, calling for another beer. Amy had just smiled at them both, placed a soft hand on Danny's arm and told him he was a great father.
"He's certainly protective," remarked an accented voice from behind them.
Steve turned and blinked at the sight of the two men standing in the bright sun. One, he didn't recognize had graying brown hair and a face covered in long slashing scars, his clothes were old and looked like they belonged on a professor from an old movie. Seeing the way Danny gave the man a little nod of the head, Steve realized they knew each other and turned to face the second man. This man was tall, taller even than Steve, and dressed in crisp black slacks, a white dress shirt and a black vest. His hair was still as dark as ever, the ends waving slightly. His nose was still a bit too large and crooked from were it had been broken and improperly set, the dark eyes cool and sharp.
"Severus," Steve said rising from his chair. "It's been too long." Steve pulled the man too him, wrapping him in a one-armed hug before slapping his back and taking a step back, looking him over. "Looking as dour as ever"
Snape's eyebrow rose. "Indeed."
"So Dumbledore gave you my message?" Steve flashed that crooked little grin that tugged up one corner of his mouth. "I figured you'd just keep ignoring me for a few more years."
Severus' expression didn't change and Steve sighed, shaking his head in fondness. The man was still as stubborn as a goat. "Stop looming and sit down, Severus."
The scared man chuckled and didn't seem the least intimidated by the way Severus turned to glare at him.
"So," Danny glanced over at "I take it this means Dumbledore and Professor Flitwick have finished looking over the house?"
"They have." Remus stretched his hand out to Steve, shaking it. "I'm Remus Lupin; I was a friend of Harry's dad."
"Ah." Steve nodded and glanced back at Severus who looked even more pissed off. "You were at the house?"
"When we heard the alarm had gone off, Headmaster Dumbledore wanted to come see if everything was alright. Harry is his favorite student and I think he might even consider Harry as an unofficial Grandson." Remus glanced over to Amy who smiled and introduced herself before standing up to go check on the kids.
"Where is the Headmaster," inquired Steve.
"The Headmaster has already returned to Hogwarts." Severus snapped his fingers at a passing waiter and demanded an iced tea. The waiter nodded quickly, a nervous look in his eyes before rushing off to fill the order. "The security has been reactivated and updated."
"That's nice." Steve looked over at his one time friend and former lover and couldn't help but wonder what had happened to really upset Severus quite so much. From what Harry said Severus wasn't very fond of him, something Steve doubted since Severus had been madly in love with Lily since they first met as children. It could be the man sitting next to him, Remus Lupin. Steve could remember both Lily and Severus bitterly complaining about the Marauders and the "pranks" they pulled on Severus, and the way Lupin pretended not to see anything even though his position in the school demanded he mention the mistreatment of a fellow student to the faculty. It had to be Remus making him so upset, but if that was the case why was Severus here with the man? "Now why are you really here, Severus? I know you well enough to know you wouldn't come all the way from Scotland just because of that."
"I can answer that," Lupin smoothly interjected. "Dumbledore was going to tell you himself, but an issue at the school came up. So he asked Severus and me to talk to you."
Steve felt a wash of cold fear make its way down his spine. For a moment he feared that someone in that Ministry he had been told and was going to try and take Harry away from him. He couldn't let that happen. No matter what, Harry was not going back to England to be put with another family. Not so long as he, or another member of Five-0, was alive.
"Sirius Black was caught inside Hogwarts."
"What!" Steve surged to his feet, knocking over the little side table that had his half empty beer bottle on it. He didn't hear the sound of the bottle breaking on the stone by his feet.
"Whoa. Calm down, Rambo." Danny grabbed Steve's arm, pulling him back down into his seat before waving off the server who had approached at the sound of Steve's raised voice. Around them people glanced nervously at them before turning to go back about their day as if nothing happened. Confused Danny glanced away from Steve to catch sight of Severus quietly slipping his wand back into his sleeve.
Clearing his throat, Remus blushed a bit as he glanced between Steve, Danny and the crowd of people now ignoring them. "I suppose I should start at the beginning."
"Indeed, Lupin. That would, perhaps, have been the wisest idea," Severus said with a sneer.
Remus let out a breath but otherwise ignored his fellow Professor. "As you are probably aware, Sirius escaped from prison during the summer. The Ministry has had men out looking for him but was unable to find him and so when the school year started back up they posted…guards…"
"Dementors," Severus interrupted.
"…Yes, Dementors, as guards at the school. The Ministry figured that now that he had escaped he would likely go after Harry and since no one knew at the time that Harry was here, Professor Dumbledore was forced to allow them at the edges of the school grounds."
"I didn't think Dumbledore was the type of man to just roll over and allow someone to take a decision about the school out of his hands," Steve commented mostly to himself.
"Yes, well…despite his roll in the Wizengamot he is still just a Headmaster. He holds some influence but the Ministry is still the Ministry and the current Minister is a bit of a stooge, really. Professor Dumbledore was forced to bow to the public pressure to safeguard the school and children from an escaped murderer."
Steve snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's a bunch of BS. I may have thought Sirius was a bit too much of a wild card and he could be a douche in regards to Severus, but he would never have hurt James, Lily or Harry."
"And you'd be right." Remus looked Steve in the eye, his hazel eyes changing a bright gold for a moment. "Sirius broke into the school even with everyone knowing Harry wasn't there. No one could figure out why until one day a rat was chased into the great hall by a student's cat. Crookshanks, one of Harry's friends pets, in fact. Imagine the surprise of everyone present when this large orange cat came running into the great hall chasing after a small gray, balding rat." Remus chuckled lightly, "The cat caught the rat and managed to snap its neck only to have it turn into a rather fat, balding man."
"Who…"
"The Aurors were called in and with a judicious use of magic were able to identify the dead animagus as Peter Pettigrew."
"I thought he was dead," Danny asked confused.
"So everyone else thought as well, but apparently he has been hiding out as a pet since the night James and Lily were killed."
"So," Steve leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "What is going to happen now?"
"Thanks to you and whoever Detective Williams' contact is in the Ministry the public has been made aware that Sirius Black never had a trial and that he spent over a decade in Azkaban with little evidence to support the claims that he was working for You-know-Who. Professor Dumbledore has managed to get the Wizengamot to agree to a public trial to prove once and for all if Sirius Black really is guilty of the crimes that he was sentence to Azkaban for."
"That's good. I might not always like Sirius but no one should be locked up for a crime they didn't commit."
"How's the boy," asked Severus obviously displeased by the whole event. Steve could understand because Sirius and Severus had been rivals verging on enemies since they were eleven.
"Harry's fine. He's been putting on some much needed weight and he's gaining some muscles. He has been making friends, and he's got a good Kahuna teaching him the local magic."
Severus nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small ring sized box. "When you get home set this on a table and place your hand upon it and state your name."
Steve took the box, which he now saw looked like a miniature steamer trunk. "What is it?"
"A gift" Severus stood, brushing down his vest. "I'm sure you'll have need of the items inside. Come, Lupin, we should return to the castle." Severus turned on his heel, not waiting to see if his fellow Professor would follow.
Remus rolled his eyes and said a quick goodbye to both Danny and Steve before turning to follow him away from the heavily trafficked areas of the hotel to the more secluded appiration point.
"So…" Danny turned to look at Steve. "You know that guy?"
"He was one of Lily's childhood friends."
"He seems nice."
Steve rolled his eyes and turned to look back at the pools, searching out Harry and Grace. "He can be very nice."
