Title: Love of a Family

Fandom: Harry Potter

Era: AU

Rating: T

Date Started: October 9, 2008

Date Finished: ?

Summary: The Lord is the leader of all Vampires and loved by the entire Wizarding World, but when a tragic accident costs the Weasley's their youngest son, they turn their backs on the vampires, only to force their daughter to them.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it and money is definitely not made off of it. If I were making money then this wouldn't be considered a procrastination tool.

Chapter XI:

Harry woke slowly, well aware of the hard, cold stone underneath him. He could hear the dripping of a water leak somewhere nearby but other than that the stone structure he was confined in was silent.

He lay there against the cold hard stone for who knew how long until he heard the clank of metal against metal and the tell-tale sounds of footsteps approaching his cell. He pulled his aching body into a crouch near the door to be ready for the guard. He heard the key insert and the door swung open with barely a squeak. Yet in his tiredness he didn't realize which way the door would open and he got a face full of door. He heard the guard panic a little as he realized that Harry supposedly not in his cell. As the face of his captor came around the edge of the door Harry carefully aimed a punch for his nose.

"Ouch, Potter! Nock it off!" he yelled. "I'm on your side!" In the dim light of the hall beyond the doorway he saw his family signet ring on a chain around his neck that he must have pulled out for proof.

"Who are you?" Harry rasped, his throat dry.

"Unfortunately, I can't tell you thanks to the oath your father made me give. I don't think he considered this ever happening when he drafted it." The man said clearly annoyed with the situation. "All I have is the signet ring which you know cannot be worn by anyone outside the family unless given to them and that only happens -"

"With an oath of absolute loyalty," Harry finished. "Alright, I believe you. So what now?"

"We work on getting you out of here," he answered giving Harry a look that said Duh, a look that reminded him a little of Sirius.

"And how do we do that?"

"I am working with my network in here to figure out the plan but for now you need to sit tight and try to stay alive."

Harry made his way slowly to the floor. He was tired, sore and hungry, not a very good combination, yet the man with him didn't smell like potential food no matter how human he did smell. "Where is here anyway?"

The man grinned sardonically. "You are the illustrious guest of one Ciaran O'Connor."

Harry stiffened. "Brother to Gwen O'Connor, my dead fiancee." He looked away attempting to control the emotions swirling around his mind. "He still blames me, then?"

"It would appear that way, my lord. My only thought as to why he brought you here was to get his revenge for his sister."

Harry leaned back into the wall and closed his eyes. "Is that why you were stationed here by my father?"

He nodded. "James saw from the very beginning that there was no getting over his sister's death for Ciaran and he wanted to make sure that someone of his was part of his organization in case something did happen."

"But none of this makes any sense! I had nothing to do with her death! I only loved her," Harry said.

"Some would say that it was the reason she died."

And Harry groaned.

... ... ... ...

James sifted through the growing mountain of papers on his desk as he tried to coordinate the search for his son. The door opened and in walked Remus Lupin. "Any news?" he asked the stressed Vampire Lord.

"None, unfortunately, but hopefully with you here it will pick up," James said.

"It is good to see you, too, James," Remus said with a laugh. James smiled and pulled the old friend and werewolf into a hug. "Where is Sirius?"

"He's helping with the search," James said.

Remus nodded then his face grew concerned. "Have you fed lately?" he asked and James smiled.

"Yes, my friend. You don't need to worry about that. Lily has made sure that I am well fed. Luckily it has not gotten to what she threatened, however."

"I threatened to shove it down his throat if he didn't eat, don't let him kid you," Lily said walking up behind Remus. "Hello, Remus," she greeted hugging him. "How are you?"

"I'm well, thanks to the kindness being commanded to me by being friends with James Potter and Family." He turned to James. "It's not like you had anything to do with that, did you, James?"

"Nothing at all," he answered perusing another document from the mighty pile.

"What would you like me to do?" Remus asked after a moment of silence and the vampire Lord sighed.

"I don't rightly know," James answered. "I really just wanted my friends around and you were the only one that wasn't."

Remus smiled trying to comfort the worried father. "We'll find him, James. You don't have to worry about that."

James nodded as he leaned back in his chair. A thoughtful look crossed his face before he smiled. "Actually, I think there is something you can do." He dug through the mountain before he extracted a plastic baggy. Inside was the note that appeared just after Harry disappeared. "Maybe you can get a scent off of this?"

Remus brightened a little. "Just maybe." Remus opened the baggy and took a long sniff. "Besides you, who handled this?"

James thought back. "Just me, I think." He turned to Lily for conformation and she nodded.

"I am sure only you handled it, James." She turned to Remus. "Why?"

"Because there is a familiar scent that I can't quite place," the werewolf answered.

"Could that be Harry's scent? It is supposed to be his hair."

Remus looked down as if realizing the hair was there and took another sniff. "No, that isn't his hair." James and Lily both tensed.

"Then who -" Lily started.

"Oddly, it almost smells like Sirius, but milder and more human."

James shot up in surprise and then smiled. "I know who has him."

... ... ... ...

Harry stared at the wall across from him utterly bored. He could only guess to how long he had been there and he was only visited by his father's employee who brought food, wine laced with blood and little tidbits of his escape plan. He could never stay long because of the suspicion his first visit brought on but as time went on Harry was getting more and more confident that he would soon be out of there.

Down the hall, the gate opened and while it was nothing new Harry noticed the different cadence in the step of this new visitor and the fact that he or she had brought a friend. Harry stood with his back leaned casually against the wall in hopes that whoever was visiting didn't realize how nervous he really was.

The door opened and Harry's hope of being casual flew out the window. "Hello, Harry Potter," Ciaran O'Connor said his features barely lit from the torches in the hallway. "We meet again at last."

"Ciaran," Harry greeted. "Am I to assume that you are the reason I am here?"

The vampire smiled his fangs extended to give himself the demon look. "I've worked a long time for this."

"Really?" Harry mocked. "Because here I thought it was a spur of the moment decision to hang out for old times sake. Only I've been stuck down here." Harry glanced around the bare cell. "You really should talk to your interior designer. You could do so much with this space and it is being wasted."

"As sarcastic as ever. It still makes me wonder what my sister saw in you that made her swoon so."

"And I always wondered why you never liked me," Harry retorted. "At first I thought it was the brother protecting the sister but then Gwen proved to all of us that she didn't need it, then I thought it was just that you envied me, or rather envy of the... manly kind."

Harry could tell, even in the dim light that Ciaran's face grew red at the comment. "Hardly," he answered with forced calm. "I merely knew that you were all wrong for my sister and I had hoped that she would realize it before she walked down that aisle, only I never thought that she would end up dead because of you."

Harry glared at him but Ciaran didn't looked fazed. "I loved your sister, Ciaran, and I did everything I could to find her, but I was too late and she paid the price. There is not a day that I don't think about her and what I could have done to save her."

"You could have given her up!" Ciaran yelled and Harry cringed. "If you had she would still be alive!"

"Don't you think I know that!" Harry retorted taking sadistic pride in the flinch that crossed his face. "But I loved her and wanted to be with her!"

His voice echoed in the silent room and Harry could tell that Ciaran was fuming, but before he could retort the door down the hall opened and a pair of running feet made their way to them. "Ciaran," someone said. "Lord Potter is here and wants to talk to you."

Ciaran's gaze never left Harry's face when he said, "Leander! Take care of Young Lord Potter while I take care of his father."

Harry was about to protest until he saw who Leander was and then he smirked. "Good luck, Ciaran. I am thinking that this was a spur of the moment decision by my father because he wasn't planning on visiting as far as I know and that could only mean one thing." Ciaran eyes narrowed. "He knows."

Ciaran tensed on his way out of the cell, but then continued. "Now, Leander!"

"Yes, sir." The man moved forward and Harry didn't resist. "Follow my lead," he whispered and Harry smiled.

... ... ... ...

James looked around the room and took in the sparse decorating and minimalist furniture. This was the room to meet uninvited guests and and it made James, and his guards, feel better that they had set the man on edge.

The double doors opened and in walked Ciaran and his entourage and James almost smiled at who was missing.

"My Lord," he said bowing and James inclined his head in return. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"I was told that you ignored the summons concerning my missing son, I came to see if you happen to know where he is," James said and he smiled at the nervous look on Ciaran's face.

"I was unaware that a summons had been received. However, I do not know where your son is seeming as I have not seen him since my sister's funeral."

"Hm, pity," James said standing. "Then I believe we will continue the search. Sirius? I believe that the Malfoy's also failed to answer the summons."

The double doors burst open and Leander rushed in with a panicked look. "Ciaran, the-" He stopped short when he realized the audience he had. "Our- our guest seems to have disappeared and I have been unable to locate him."

James felt Sirius start next to him and placed his hand on his shoulder. He caught Sirius's eye and shook his head minutely. The incredulous look he got in return meant a huge fight was in store for the two friends and for the first time James regretted doing what he did. However, the look on Ciaran's face told him all James needed to know.

"Guards, take this man into custody and then find my son."