Metamorphose Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor do I make any profits from posting this fanfiction.

Summary: Non-Epilogue compliant. After the war groups of disgruntled Wizards and Witches terrorise England's magical nation, sending them to the brink of civil war and a war against the Creatures. Harry is in Gringotts when one terrorist faction attack causing Harry and other survivors to go into hiding. There is an interested repercussion of the potion they use to hide themselves and now Harry finds himself stuck in a foreign country, with people he doesn't know and living in a style he has never even dreamed to imagine.

Warnings: Gender change. Fem!Harry…after a potions accident. Name changes for characters. Hurricane Sandy (use of artistic licence over the damage it wrought)

Pairings: LM/HP. DM/AG. RW/HG.

(Chapter 14)

10th April

Henri was heading home. She was worn out and feeling rather stressed. Thanks to Bibi charming the designer Henri and Tori had a new contract with Reuban Tzevi. The designer had become enamoured with Bibi, no doubt thanks to her Veela charm, and hadn't taken much convincing to agree to Bibi coming to work for him only if he hired Tori and Henri too. Tori was ecstatic over the extra work and the pay bonus. Henri was just annoyed. The stupid little man kept trying to ask her questions about Harry Potter and Harry's life. He always asked at inopportune moments too, like in the middle of a dress fitting. His newest tactic to get her to talk was to flirt with her, something which had gotten on her last nerve. It had also made Bibi quite angry at the man but since Reuban kept saying that Henri wasn't in a relationship they had nothing polite to use as an excuse. As it was Henri kept saying she wasn't available, thank you anyway.

All Henri really wanted to do was hex the man. Since he was magical she was allowed to…but there were always muggles around and Henri didn't carry her wand.

She had declined going out to the party tonight because that stupid man had said he would go. Her friends were disappointed but they understood. The look on Bibi's face meant that Reuban might be in for something unpleasant later though, if her scowl in the man's direction was any indication.

Now she was away from it all the only thing Henri wanted to do was stay home and curl up on the sofa.

The elevator seemed to take forever to reach her floor. When it finally did she trudged out of it and kicked off her shoes and shrugged off her jacket. As usual Zuza greeted her as she entered and took her shoes, bag and coat with a smile. Henri then made her way up the stairs only she caught a glimpse of Lucas' frame reclining on the sofa in the lounge with one arm trailing along the back while his other hand effortlessly held a book up before him. She wandered over to the lounge content just to watch him.

She had taken to watching him a lot recently. Ever since that chat in the restaurant and the resulting talk with Hermione Henri hadn't been able to keep her mind or eyes off the man. Lucas didn't seem to notice, or if he did he certainly didn't mind the rudeness.

The talk with Hermione had been helpful but at the same time confusing. Hermione had basically told Henri that Henri would have to figure out whether she was attracted to Lucas. She also explained that sometimes attraction wasn't instantaneous or passionate as many people believed. Sometimes it grew slowly, unnoticeably in the back ground until before you knew it there was a raging fire burning. She also said that sometimes attraction creeps in and naturally humans adjusted to include it into their lives, never acknowledging consciously that it was there but all the same knowing about it. Hermione told her to work out whether she liked Lucas as a man, as a conscious being, as an intelligent person, and whether she liked him as a physical human being. Hermione had stated that she wasn't surprised that Henri was feeling something more for Lucas but she warned that because they had spent so much time alone together that sympathetic feelings could develop and be mistaken for affection and love. It was like Stockholm syndrome where the captive falls for the kidnapper.

Henri was sure it wasn't like that. Henri wasn't captive and Lucas hadn't been her only person to interact with. No, Henri was sure it was something else but whether or not it was enough of a feeling to attempt to form a relationship on was another matter. Hermione's advice was to think and to think hard. To look and watch and see. To consider and weigh up options. To figure out for herself whether she liked Lucas.

She still wasn't sure but…

"I was under the illusion that you would be attending a party tonight." Lucas drawled, still looking at his book. Henri rolled her eyes. Of course he knew she was there.

She padded carefully into the lounge, enjoying the feel of the soft carpet and rug beneath her bare feet. She stood at the end of the sofa and let her fingers run over the arm of the chair as she answered him. He still maintained his concentration on his book, not sparing her a glance, but Henri now knew Lucas as well as he knew her. He wasn't really reading it, just appearing to. Henri now had his full concentration, whether or not he was looking at her.

"I decided not to go."

"That begs the question why?" Lucas said and regally turned his head to regard her properly. "You do not look ill and I was under the impression you were looking forward to having an evening out with your friends."

"I was…I just…" Henri sighed and leaned her hip onto the arm of the chair. She rubbed a weary hand through her hair. "I just wanted to come home. That's all."

"Hm." Henri dared to meet Lucas' eyes then and his unimpressed, disbelieving countenance made her elaborate further.

"The designer, Tzevi, has been getting on my nerves. That's all."

"That is no reason to decline a party invitation." Lucas scolded. Henri rolled her eyes.

"I just didn't want to be around him anymore. I wouldn't enjoy my night with him there." She didn't care if she sounded petulant. After putting up with Tzevi every day for the last week, batting aside his questions, escaping his wandering hands and dodging his outlandish pick-up lines, Henri had just had enough of the man. "I just wanted to come home."

Lucas softened tat the last statement then Henri saw his eyes harden slightly and he pursed his lips. Henri could see the protective, powerful, scheming, Slytherin man come out and rage behind the man's mask.

"And what, pray tell, was the man doing to make himself into such a nuisance that you wished to return here?"

"You make it sound like returning home is a bad thing! You should like being at home. What's wrong with missing it? You should rather be at home than anywhere else some times." Henri hedged but that stubborn look remained on Lucas' look.

"And I would rather you present me with the truth, not half hearted attempts to subtly evade the question. You, my dear, do not do subtle well." Lucas pointedly raised his eyebrows at her and gave her a look that dared her to contradict his last statement. She sighed, he was right. She didn't do subtle and she would not get away with not answering however much she tried to change the subject. Short of leaving the room, which was incredibly childish, there was nothing she could do now to avoid the conversation.

"Tzevi has been asking lots of questions about Henri…you know what I mean." Henri waved her hand. The spell had once again stopped her from mentioning 'Harry Potter' when she was referring to herself. Lucas nodded his understanding but his patient look let her know that he was expecting more of the truth than that. "His latest tactic to get information has to be…well…he has been flirting with me."

"I beg your pardon?" That voice was cold as frozen steel. His tone was ice, his expression was arctic and his eyes were glinting like the pointy ends of a thousand swords.

"It's nothing I can't handle." Henri hastened to explain, hoping to get rid of some of the glacial needle-point homicidal look. Henri didn't think it worked however some part of her couldn't help but be flattered that he was getting this upset on her behalf…and terrified because she knew what Lucas was capable of when he was in the mood for it. "Honestly, I've been dealing with it. I just needed a break. I wanted to come home and be safe from the man."

"And how have you been dealing with it?"

"Well…ignoring him mostly. I've ignored all his advances and I've dodged all his attempts to touch me but…well there's only so much I can do you know? He is technically my boss and he doesn't touch me differently to how he touches all the other models…he just does it more to me and it makes me uncomfortable. So anyway, I'm not going out tonight and I think Bibi has something install for the man."

"Hm." Lucas did lose some of the glacial look but there was still a violent maliciousness lurking in his eyes.

Lucas had spoken with Bibi a week ago. Henri had arranged the meeting just as Lucas had asked her too. She invited Bibi to the apartment then Lucas took Bibi into his office for an interrogation. While Bibi came out a little bit shaken both had smiles on their faces and seemed more at ease with each other. Lucas had told Henri later that he had received the exact same story that Bibi had told Henri but that he also had a few more answers. For example the reason Bibi was having a lot of intimate relationships, giving her a slutty reputation, was because she used the allure to make men think they had slept with her when in fact they had not. Bibi said occasionally she met a man she did take to her bed but she had not slept with many and she was still on the lookout for her 'one' her 'mate'. She had explained, apparently, that her marriage to Smith had made her rather angry at men so she sought to punish them by leaving them 'hanging', as it were. Lucas had, for some reason, been impressed. Bibi explained to Henri later that the link between the two of them was still there though which meant even if she had used her allure to try and make Lucas believe her story, it wouldn't have worked because he was already infatuated with somebody else.

"Can we just…can we not talk about Tzevi? Please? I didn't come home to be reminded of him. I came home to enjoy myself." Henri begged trying to change the subject completely and get her mind off everything.

"Very well." Lucas nodded and set aside his book. "On the topic of homes, I received word from the Fawleys."

"Yeah?" Henri perked right up, sliding off the arm of the chair and down into the seat. If Lucas had received word from the Fawleys then it must be about the house in the Hamptons. Well…the house and the other houses, the beach, the meadow, the island and the Quidditch pitch.

"The transaction has been finalised in both worlds. I have the deeds and the certificates of ownership which we both are required to sign. The Fawleys also wished to inform me that the last of their furniture and belongings have been removed from their house and that they hope we keep in correspondence with them in the years to come. Apparently, Constance has taken quite a shine to you."

"Wow. So…so where does that leave us with the house?"

"I have hired three independent interior designers to view the house and draw up designs for it. I have also sent all three designers the blueprints for the guest house and the cottage. I have sent those blueprints to a further two wizarding interior designers to see what they can come up with and see if we can cohesively mix muggle with wizard in the decorations and furnishings." Lucas explained.

"Blimey. Do you need any help? Can I do anything?"

"Not yet my dear. I shall require your help once the plans have been sent through to me though. I shall not choose interior designs which you do not like as well." Henri nodded at his words, happy she could help in some way but still feeling like she wasn't being of any use. Lucas then sat straighter and pulled a piece of paper from his chest pocket. His face was serious and Henri thought she saw something akin to vulnerability in his eyes. "I received this today. It is from the private investigator in Salem."

He handed over the missive and Henri took it carefully opening it up. There was a short written message complete with coordinates and a photo of Dante, Aster and Lulu all walking down the street. It was a wizarding photo so Henri could see that Lulu was pulling Aster along and that a tired Dante was following them. The missive explained that the photo was taken in a busy shopping district inside Wizarding Salem but also that it was taken in the poorest area of the town. The investigator had followed the family who had mostly window shopped and the only thing they had actually bought was a cuddly toy owl for a couple of knuts. The clothes worn by the three of them were shabby, Aster's coat was even moth eaten. Aster looked like she had tried to make an effort with her appearance but Dante just looked dishevelled and grubby. Not the usual look for him.

"Oh my god. Lucas…! They are…" Henri found herself at a loss for words. So much to say but not enough muscle control or concentration to get the words out properly. Lucas just maintained a steady look. Henri swallowed and licked her lips. "If you let me get my shoes we will go and find them."

"I believe it is too late to go now. This was taken during the day today, now however it is late evening and no doubt they would have retreated to wherever it is they are currently living."

"But we know what area they were in now! Before we couldn't find them because wizarding Salem is so huge! Now we can narrow down our search! Come on, I'll get my shoes." Henri pushed herself up from the chair and made towards the door. A hand caught hers and held it carefully. She turned and looked at Lucas who rubbed his thumb over the knuckles on her hand. She felt heat blossom in her cheeks and it only increased as she looked into his grateful but guarded eyes.

"We shall look for them." Lucas said and raised her hand up to his lips. He kissed her knuckles gently, his breath puffing out over her skin and making the small hairs all over her body stand on end. Her hand tingled where Lucas' skin touched hers, the tingling more intense where his lips had touched. "I would be honoured and grateful if you would accompany me."

"I will. Of course I will." Henri reassured him, mouth dry. Lucas nodded and gave her a small smile.

"Excellent. Then after dinner we shall go out." He released her hand and stood up.

"After dinner?! But Lucas don't you want to look now?" She asked shocked. He looked down at her and shook his head.

"From the smells and the noises from the kitchen our dinner is almost ready. Our search could be a very long one, it would be wise to eat first to give us strength for the search, don't you agree?"

"Well yes but…isn't time of the essence?"

"Indeed. However, if Dante wished to be found then he wouldn't have gone through such lengths to hide himself."

And wasn't that the dilemma. Dante had obviously decided he didn't want to be found, despite Henri and Lucas wanting to find him. The fact that they had gone so long without a word from him, and that the investigators couldn't find him, meant that Dante was still avoiding them. Even if they went straight away they probably wouldn't not find him, time was not an issue when the person you were looking for did not want to be found.

"Okay then. Dinner first."

10th April.

Henri watched as Lucas just stood and looked out on the town sprawling out in front of them. He hadn't moved in a couple of minutes, just stood and stared out. He held his wand in his hand and it pointed unwaveringly out into the sea of houses.

Well they couldn't even be called houses…nor could it be called a town.

It was a slum.

Pure and simple.

An accumulation of tents and hastily put together shacks littered the land. Wooden planks, metal foil, timbering, fencing…anything those people could get their hands on were used to make the 'houses'. Add a little magic into the mix and you had tents stacked upon tents, ramshackle house upon ramshackle house. Ladders, children, buckets, litter, clothes, animals, people all littered the streets and walkways between the houses. The further out over the shanty town you looked the denser the houses became, more houses all crammed into a small space.

And Dante, Aster and Lulu were out there somewhere.

Henri swallowed. She was desperate to find them but when faced with that…it was like finding three yellow needles in a hay barn. Why had they chosen to live there? What could have possibly possessed them to live in that place?! Why was that place there? It had not been there when they had searched before, so why was it there now? What had driven the magical community to create such a place?

"Lucas?" Henri hesitantly asked. Lucas didn't spare her a glance. She slowly closed the gap between them till she stood to the side of him looking up into his expressionless face. Somehow seeing the lack of expression on his face was far worse than seeing the emotions she had expected.

"Lucas?" She tried again but there was still no response. She sighed and closed her eyes, beating back her worry, disgust and amazement at the situation and get back to the pure cold truth. There was nothing else that could be done; they had to find Dante, Aster and Lulu, and if finding them meant going into that slum then that was what they would do.

She opened her eyes and reached out carefully laying her hand over Lucas' wand and pressing her hand down into Lucas' hand. He blinked, jerked and refocused on her, that one action of encasing his wand between both of their palms giving him the shock he needed to get out of the mental spiral he had obviously been swept away in. Henri tried to give him a reassuring look as his eyes met hers. She wrapped her fingers around his larger hand and gripped hard.

"Come on." She tugged him towards the shanty town. He resisted and she twisted to look at him.

"Why?" He asked looking emotionless still. Henry felt a shudder go up her spine. She did not like that look on him.

"Because we need to find him, and if we don't look then we will regret it and it will haunt us. If we look and don't find him then we will have no regrets because we tried. If we look and we find them then we would have succeeded. The only way we are going lose completely is if we do nothing at all." She reasoned and Lucas sighed but allowed himself to be pulled into the town.

They looked for hours. They got drenched by rain, they got mired in the mud and rubbish that littered the walk ways. They got bruised by people running into them and they were nearly attacked several times but those who attacked them didn't know defensive magic like her and Lucas did and the attacks lasted only a few seconds. Mostly people were just curious and desperate; they begged Henri and Lucas for money or food and Henri felt her heart break as she had to refuse. Those were her people. The people she had fought to save from Voldemort. They were all British; Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English. They were her people. She even recognised a few of them.

It was a refugee camp.

Needless to say they didn't find Dante, Aster and Lulu. They went back home at one in the morning tired, achy, dirty and upset.

April 16th.

Henri lethargically made her way downstairs for breakfast. She was tired…beyond tired! For the last week she had gone to work, with no days off, and after work she had helped Lucas hunt through the Salem Refugee Camp to find Dante, Aster and Lulu. She was tired to the bone and he was not looking forwards to going to work again and facing Tzevi. He might have been spoken to by Bibi but it hadn't done any good, he still kept keeping on at her and his touches were getting more frequent.

"Good morning my dear." Lucas greeted looking just as tired as Henri. She gave him a weak smile and threw herself into the chair next to him at the table. Her breakfast was already there in front of her which was nice and Cosmo had obviously decided she needed a treat because there was one slice of bacon to go along with a small portion of scrambled egg and a bowl of fruit. Cosmo insisted that if they had a busy day, or were feeling tired, that they start their day on an egg and that would keep them fuelled for the day. It worked too, after an egg breakfast Henri didn't feel hungry until at least 3pm.

"Morning." She muttered and slumped in her chair, rudely putting her elbows on the table and resting her head in her palms. The breakfast looked delicious but she was too tired to even contemplate eating it at the moment.

"I have come to a decision." Lucas announced and Henri rolled her head to the side to peer at him.

"About what?"

"I have decided to conclude our search for now. Dante and his family obviously have no interest in being found and it is quite clear that we shall be unable to find them in that hovel. Therefore I have decided that enough is enough. We shall not search again. As hard as that decision is as a parent, I shall have to take a step back. If Dante needs me I shall have to trust that he will put his pride aside and seek me out himself. Thus, when we move to the Hamptons I shall keep this apartment so that he has a place to return to should he need it."

"Oh." Henri said not sure if she was relieved or put out. She settled on relieved though she couldn't stop the heart-breaking disappointment that they had failed. "Okay."

"Yes, I thought you would agree. On that note, I believe you have another busy day ahead of you. Eat up or I shall be forced to feed you myself." The tone was teasing but Henri noticed a glint in Lucas' eye that hinted at many other things behind his words. Henri sighed and nodded, forcing a laugh and started to slowly eat.

"At least that means I shall get a good night's sleep."

"Indeed. I shall enjoy the extra few hours of rest myself." He announced and continued eating his breakfast.

Half an hour later they were in the car together, Wells driving Henri to work while Lucas went along for the journey so that once Henri was at work he could go directly to the Hamptons to meet with the interior designer they had chosen to decorate the place. Henri liked nearly all the designs except the plans for the family room which had just seemed too cold and impersonal to Henri. As a family room she wanted it to welcome everybody so the designer was looking at the plans again so see if she could warm them up and make them a lot more informal. Lucas had disputed the bedroom designs too. He was having the master suite, of course. Henri's rooms were fine, beautiful in fact. Then Lucas had decided to allocate Dante and Aster a room as well as Lulu but had not found the plans suitable enough. Thus he was going to see the interior designer start to refit the house today and make the adjustments to the family bedrooms in person.

They pulled up outside of the Tzevi workshop and Henri noticed the other models milling around outside waiting for someone to turn up with the keys and let them in. Tori was there and, as usual, was arguing with Bibi. Henry was very tempted to stay in the car until the doors were unlocked but just as she was about to say it she noticed Tzevi walking forwards towards the building fumbling with a set of keys.

Henri groaned and rolled her eyes. "I better go then. See you later." She muttered and pushed open the car door before Wells could walk around and open it for her. She clambered out and made to walk forwards noticing Tzevi see her and brighten up immediately. He changed his direction to intercept her as they walked forwards.

"Henri! How are you this fine morning? You are looking as splendid as ever. You know I have the perfect dress for you inside and if you are free after work I would love for you to try it on." He babbled and Henri had to bite her tongue to stop herself from snapping at him. She saw Tori roll her eyes and give Henri a pitying stare. Bibi just looked cross again as she glared daggers at Tzevi. Henri just tried her best to ignore the man as he continued babbling.

"Henrietta." That rich sophisticated voice brought immediate silence from the babbling fashion designer, and also stopped the tittering from the other models. Henri felt something warm trickle from her spine through to her stomach as she turned around and saw Lucas waiting directly behind her. He met her gaze dead on with his piercing, blue-blue eyes and with that stare he somehow managed to isolate her from the rest of the crowd. Henri noticed he flicked his gaze once or twice to the people around them; the other models and Tzevi. However something on his face immediately gave the crowd the understanding that he dismissed them completely as unimportant and that only Henri was worth his time. That gaze drowned Henri and at the same time it kept her floating.

"Lucas."

"I neglected to inform you that we have been given a preliminary date upon which all the renovations on our house will be finished and we are at liberty to move in whenever suits us. With everything else on my mind I'm afraid, my dear, that I quite forgot. Here." Lucas handed over a folded up piece of paper which, with a small confused frown, Henri reached out and took from him. As her hand enclosed around the paper Lucas twisted his long fingers slightly to take hold of her hand and raise it slightly to his lips. He brushed another gentle kiss over her knuckles with the faintest hint of a smirk as his eyes bore into hers. She felt heat flood her cheeks, embarrassment and bashfulness sweeping through her. Lucas released her hand and smirked again. "Until tonight then my dear."

"Um bye." Henri muttered still a little confused and embarrassed. Lucas turned and with the gait of a regal gentleman he strode back towards the car, folding elegantly into it and allowing Wells to close the door behind him. Henri couldn't unglue her feet from the ground until the car had pulled away then she shook her head, turned around and opened up the piece of paper.

It was blank. All of that for a blank piece of paper.

"Ooooooh!" Bibi squealed and raced forwards encasing Henri in a huge hug. "Oh I'm so happy for you!"

"Huh?!" Henri huffed, confused at the treatment. Bibi pulled back and pressed her forehead to Henri's.

"Lucas just staked his claim on you! Oh it's so exciting! You didn't even tell me you two were dating yet! I can't believe you didn't tell me! What a secret to keep to yourself."

"What? Bibi I don't…" Bibi rolled her eyes good naturedly and wrapped her arm around Henri's shoulders so they could walk in through the door that Tzevi must have unlocked. She kept her head in close, practically pressing her cheek into Henri's hair.

"Oh this is going to keep Reuban away now that's for sure! Any man with even half a brain would know they couldn't compete against a man like Lucas. You have no idea how happy I am that you finally took my advice." Bibi giggled.

"Yeah, it's about damn time girl." Tori scolded. "Good for you!"

Henri just felt more confused than ever but for the rest of the day Tzevi kept as far away from her as work would allow and Henri finally understood. Somehow with that outlandish display Lucas had warned Tzevi off her. She didn't know how she was going to be able to thank Lucas for that.

Authors Note: There you are! The next instalment. And before you say anything, I know they still aren't together. I'm sure I mentioned before about that not happening until chapter 17? Not long to wait but yes, you've still got to wait!