Harry felt like he was dying. No, scratch that, not even dying could hurt this bad. He didn't know that this much pain was even possible. He could see now why Neville's parents lost their minds from being held under the Cruciatus Curse for too long. He too felt like he was losing his mind, how could anyone stay sane after experiencing this much pain?
He knew that he was dying, his magic was painfully killing him as it fought against the block that Dumbledore had placed on him, but he had been hoping that Professor Snape could have done something, given him something, to either break the block on his magic, or at least settle his magic. Now he just prayed that Snape would kill him. Death was preferable over the pain that he was in now.
Before the pain became too much for him to bare consciously, he vaguely remembered hearing talk of Jasper biting him. Was that why his pain had more than tripled? Had Jasper finally bitten him? He wasn't sure how he felt about being bitten. On the one hand if it was going to save his life then he was all for it, but on the other hand he would be destroyed if he lost Billy, Jacob and the pack if he became a vampire. He couldn't imagine his life now without his new family in it.
Harry screamed internally as his pain increased even more. He wanted to thrash and scream and cry and beg for it to stop, to beg for someone to just kill him already, but he couldn't move a muscle for some reason, not even a twitch. It was as though the venom and the excruciating pain had frozen his body.
Trembling, Jasper, still laying across his mate, rested his face in Harry's neck. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" He sobbed without tears, knowing, because of being an empath, that he had caused his mate unimaginable pain. He could feel it in his chest how much pain Harry was in. "Please, just make it through this and I vow to you that I will never knowingly hurt you again. Please don't hate me for biting you."
Sitting up, Jasper licked the sweet blood from his lips, giving a small moan. As delicious as Harry was, he had no desire to drain him. Harry was his mate, he knew the difference between mate and food, even in his semi-feral state.
"You're going to okay," Jasper said as he brushed the hair from Harry's sweaty forehead. Gasping, he yanked his hand away, touching Harry had been like touching a live electrical wire. Shaking his hand out, he frowned down at his mate. Before he had bitten Harry, his mate had been been thrashing around on the bed, now he was laying unnaturally still for someone just bitten. He knew that Harry was in pain, he could feel it, but so far he hadn't shown any outward signs of being in pain. He had assumed it was just because Harry was unconscious, but he feared now that there was something else going on. Could it have something to do with his magic?
Magic! He still couldn't believe that his mate was a wizard, not a shifter like the pack. He knew nothing of wizards and magic, he always thought they were just fairytales told to entertain little kids. He was feeling a bit overwhelmed to be honest, a lot has happened in the past twenty four hours.
Running a still shaky hand through his hair, Jasper took an unneeded deep breath. He felt like his head was going to explode, he needed some time to sit down and process everything that happened, but he couldn't leave his mate, not until he was out of the woods. Just because Harry seems alright for now, doesn't mean that things still can't go horribly wrong. He won't be able to sit and rest until Harry finishes the turning process and wakes a newborn.
He felt a bit guilty, but he was relieved and happy that he got to bite his mate. It wasn't under ideal circumstances, but now Harry would be a vampire like him and they could be together forever. For Harry's sake though, he hopes that the pack and Billy will still be able to accept him, will still consider him pack and family. Even though every instinct has been screaming at him to get his mate away from the wolves, he fought his vampire because he knew that Harry would be miserable without his family. Just because Harry would now be like him didn't mean that they were going to live happily ever after, there were still a lot of issues and complications they were going to need to work through.
***HP
"I can't believe I just allowed a vampire to bite my godson," Sirius moaned, feeling like he was about to throw up. "I can't believe this is happening." Taking a seat, he dropped his head between knees.
"We had no other choice," Severus sighed, he too not believing that he had asked a vampire to bite the boy.
"Well, at least his leg will heal," Emmett chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
"I could have fixed the leg in minutes with magic," Severus said tightly as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "This has got to work," he said softly, more to himself but everyone else heard. He may have never cared for the boy, but he didn't want him to die. When the hell was Potter going to catch a damn break?
"What's going to happen after Harry wakes up?" Remus questioned as he looked between Sirius and the man in the wheelchair. The original plan had been to find Harry and then return back to England with him, but Harry now had a family and mate here.
Sirius numbly shook his head, his eyes staring at the door his pup was behind. "I don't know. My original plan had been to return home, kill Dumbledore, then make a home for Harry in the muggle world, but this changes things. Not only is my pup going to be a vampire, but he has also found himself a family and a mate."
"You can stay here," Billy offered, willing to do anything to keep Harry close. "You can either move to the reservation, or find a place here in Forks."
Sirius was shocked by the offer. His cousin didn't know him yet he was offering him a home. "Thank you, I will consider your offer. I need to talk to Harry first before making any decisions."
"Has Harry been happy here?" Remus asked anxiously.
The shifters and vampires looked to each other. "I would like to think Harry has been happy here," Sam answered, "but it has been difficult for him. Harry has been severely depressed."
"It's a side effect from having his magic sealed." Severus said darkly. "Most witches and wizards commit suicide shortly after having their magic sealed, its one of the reasons why sealing someone's magic is against the law and will find you spending life in prison."
"Why the hell was him magic sealed in the first place?" Sam growled angrily.
Sirius clenched his first angrily at his side. "The headmaster at his school, the self proclaimed greatest wizard of the time, sealed his magic because he was threatened by him."
"That's not entirely true," Remus said tentatively, not wishing to upset his mate...again.
"Don't give me that bullshit that Dumbledore sealed his magic because he feared Harry would go dark!" Sirius roared. "Anyone with a quarter of a brain would know that Harry would never go dark. No, that bastard sealed his magic because Harry was more powerful than him and he couldn't allow someone to be greater than him."
"Black's right," Severus grunted, hating that he was agreeing with the mutt. "There was no proof that Harry was going to go dark just because he housed a piece of the Dark Lord's soul in his scar, and even if there had been proof, there is other more humane methods he could have used to contain Potter's magic. The spell he used to seal his magic was the darkest and most dangerous. There's a reason why most would rather die than live with their magic sealed in such away."
"I think we need to all step back and take a breath," Carlisle suggested hoping to diffuse the tension in the room. He didn't know anything about witches and wizards, but it was clear to see that the three men were volatile and didn't care much for each other.
Billy shook his head. "No, Carlisle, I'm tired of stumbling around in the dark. I want to know everything about Harry, every little detail. I love that boy and I want to help him, but I can't do that if I don't have all the facts."
"It's only fair," Sirius agreed. "You took my pup in and gave him a home when I couldn't and my mate wouldn't, you didn't have to do that. I appreciate everything you and the pack have done for him."
"Well, we have time while we wait for Potter to either die or turn," Severus said tiredly as he took a seat on one of the plush leather couches.
Jacob flinched. "Don't make it sound like his death will be no big deal."
"It's not that it won't be a big deal," Severus corrected, "it's just that there is nothing we can do about it. The bite will either kill him or turn him, nothing I do or say will change that. Does Harry deserve this? Hell no, but since all we can do is sit and wait, we minus well come clean with you."
"Don't mind him, he's a heartless bastard," Sirius grumbled moodily.
"I'm here, aren't I, Black? It's no secret that Potter and I have no love for each other, but I have been looking out for that boy since he stepped foot in the Wizarding World. A bastard I may be, but I'm not heartless."
Clearing her throat, Esme stepped into the room carrying a large tray full of food. "Since it looks like we will all be here for a while, I figured food will help settle stomachs and tempers. We can have story time while you eat."
Sirius' stomach grumbled at seeing all the food. Since his waking, he had hardly eaten any food. He had been so worried about Harry that he hadn't taken the time to feed his weak body properly. "Thank you, mam, it smell delicious."
Esme smiled brightly. "Please help yourselves, I have more in the kitchen."
***HP
Jasper looked down at his trembling hands, a soft whimper escaping his throat. "You're going to be okay, Harry, everything is going to be okay. You're strong and a fighter, you're going to make it through this." Needing something to do, he picked up the washcloth that was in a bowl of ice water on the bedside table then started wiping his still feverish mate down.
Was it normal for Harry to still be burning up after the bite? He had seen plenty of turnings while living with his maker Maria, but all those turnings had been with healthy humans, not people dying because their magic had been blocked.
Jasper yanked his hand back when he felt another small electrical shock. "Please, Harry, please fight this." He pleaded softly, desperate for his mate to make it through the turning. "I can't live without you."
Harry felt something building inside of him. Not just building, more like getting ready to erupt inside of him. He could feel his magic pushing against the block Dumbledore placed on him, but he could also feel the vampire venom racing through his system like acid, heading straight for the block. The pain he was in had already passed unbearable and he feared that the venom meeting the block and his magic was going to kill him. There was no way a human could take even more pain than he was already in, it was impossible. He wanted to die now, and he was ready. Not only was he ready, but he deserved death. Thanks to him, Ron and Hermione were dead, it was only fair for him to join them. It was also only fair that he suffered greatly before his death.
Jasper shook his head when he felt negative emotions pouring off of his mate. Not only were they negative, but also resigned. Harry was ready to give up, he was ready to accept death. Gripping Harry's shoulder tightly, he ignored the pulses of electricity Harry was putting out and gave his mate a hard shake. "Don't you give up, dammit!" He begged as he leaned down, biting his mate on the neck again and pushing even more venom into him. He didn't know if the extra venom would help, but he had to do something. "Please, Harry, I know it hurts, but you have to fight."
Harry wanted to scream as even more pain wracked his body. It was too much, he just couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to fight, he wanted to be strong for Jasper, his godfather, and for the family he found here in Forks, but he just couldn't hold on anymore. He felt like he was going to explode, like there was a bomb inside of him set to go off.
Eyes wide, Jasper stepped away from the bed when Harry started convulsing, electrical sparks now visible as they danced across his skin like a live wire. He could feel pressure in the air growing, it was so bad that even his ears were starting to hurt.
Door slamming open, Severus rushed in. "Get down!" He roared, before taking his own advice and dropping to the ground, quickly erecting a shield around himself. He didn't have time to cast a shield around the vampire, but he was a vampire, virtually indestructible.
Jasper didn't hesitate to hit the ground, his arms flying over his head to protect it. No sooner had he taken cover than a loud explosion rocked the house, dust a debris raining down on top of him. He remained still, his ears ringing, until he felt a light tapping on his shoulder.
Hair covered in white dust and a crack going down the side of his face that was already slowly starting to heal, Emmett waved his arm in a big circle. "I really like what you have done with the place, it's a very open air concept."
Groaning, Jasper slowly sat up, drywall sliding off his back. "What the hell?" he gasped as he looked around the destroyed room. Destroyed was an understatement. He had seen F3 tornados do less damaged than what Harry had done. Three walls were completely missing as well as half the ceiling, and every piece of furniture, with the exception of the bed, was in splinters, pieces scattered everywhere, even outside.
"Is everyone alright?" Severus asked as he got to feet, not a speck of dust on him thanks to his shield.
Jasper was only a few feet from the bed, but because of all the debris it took him a few seconds to get to his mate's side. Harry had blood coming out of his nose and mouth, and his skin was an unnatural dark pink color, almost as though he had poured scolding hot water all over himself, but his heart was still beating steadily and judging by his feelings, he was resting almost comfortably. He was still in a great deal amount of pain, but compared to the pain he felt pouring off of him before the explosion, this pain was nothing.
"Is Harry alright?" Sirius asked, stumbling into the room. Freezing, he gasped when he saw the damage. Thankfully the bulk of the damage had been contained to just the room Harry was in, the rest of the house was mostly okay. There were cracks in the walls and ceilings, and most everything on the walls had fallen, as well as the windows had shattered, but that was about the extent of the damage.
"His heart is still beating," Jasper pointed out as he hovered anxiously over his mate. "What was the explosion?"
"That was his magic and your venom breaking the block put on him," Severus explained as he waved his wand over Potter, scanning him. "The block is gone but his magical core is dangerously low. If he survives the venom, he be okay."
"How is he still in one piece? Look at the damage." Carlisle pointed out, stunned.
Severus snorted. "Believe me, if this was any other wizard we would be picking pieces of them off the ceiling, but this is Potter, the boy with the knack of doing the impossible."
Smiling softly, Sirius ran his fingers through his pup's tangled and sweaty hair. "Look how red and raw his skin is."
"He's lucky that that's all he has. I have never felt a magical explosion that great before," Severus said as he turned to survey the damage. "Mild burns is nothing compared to what could have happened."
Billy was on the other side of the bedroom door, unable to wheel into the room because of all the debris. At seeing the extent of the damage, he made a mental note to thank his cousin and his mate for throwing up shields around him and his boys. "How are you going to explain what happened to contractors?"
"We can fix this with magic," Severus offered, "but it's going to take a lot out of us."
"Sirius and I will do it," Remus spoke up, gripping his wand in his hand. "You need to save your magic incase Harry needs you."
Emmett's eyes widened excitedly. "Really, you can fix all this damage magically? We're going to get to see real wicked magic?"
Rosalie rolled her eyes at her mate. "Tone it down, puppy, it's just magic."
"Exactly!" Emmett cried. "It's magic!"
Sirius didn't want to leave his godson's side, but they couldn't leave the house and the bedroom the way it was, especially with his pup still in it. He didn't know how much magic he had to spare, not after spending months healing in a coma, but he was willing to at least try. He owed everyone here for taking care of Harry while he couldn't. It was clear to see that everyone here cared greatly for his pup, especially his mate.
"Not you, Black," Severus grunted before Sirius could leave the room.
"Excuse me?" Sirius hissed, his eyes darkening.
Severus closed his eyes praying for patience. "Black, you have been in a coma for months, you don't have the magic or energy to spare. You shouldn't even be out of your hospital bed yet."
"I can perform a few reparos," Sirius argued, even though he wasn't all that confidant that he could.
"Black, you're pale, weak, and I can feel that you magical levels are dangerously low. If you put yourself back in a coma draining your core, Harry is going to blame himself. The stupid Gryffindor blames himself for everything that goes wrong, and for other's stupid actions. What you need to do is take a dreamless sleep and sleep for the next twelve hours."
Remus paled. "Severus it right, I don't know what I was thinking. Sirius, you should really go lay down for a bit."
Sirius was exhausted, but he would never admit it, especially not in front of Snape. "I'm mot leaving Harry."
"Harry has plenty of people here who care for him and will look out for him." Billy pointed out. "We know you're worried about your godson, but you're not going to be any help to him if you put yourself back in a coma. Harry loves you, he cried in his sleep almost every night for you. Please, let us watch over Harry while you do what you need to do to get better."
Sirius bowed his head in submission. "You're right, all of you. I just...I'm so damn tired of Harry being hurt and blamed for every damn little thing. He's such an amazing kid, he doesn't deserve any of this."
"Sirius, I'm sorry," Remus apologized with tears in his eyed. "I love Harry too, I don't know why..."
"Save it!" Sirius snapped. "I'm not yet ready to forgive you for how you treated our pup. I know you're sorry, Remus, but you're always sorry. After I slipped behind the veil, you should have been at Harry's side, not mine. I was in a coma, I didn't need you, but Harry was scared and hurt and just lost his two best friends, you should have been there for him? You should have protected him against his relatives, against those lashing out against him, like a Molly Weasley, you should have protected him from Dumbledore, but you're so damn selfish that you couldn't see past your own suffering."
Shocked to hear Black lash out at Lupin in such a way, Severus approached the volatile wizard. "Black, take this dreamless sleep, it will help you heal faster than a normal sleep. When you wake I'll give you something that will help replenish your magic."
Sirius looked at the potion skeptically. "Why are you helping me, Snape, you hate me?"
"More than you know," Severus admitted. "Don't mistake my helping you for liking you, I still despise you more than anyone else walking the earth, but Potter has been through enough. Black, you're not mentally stable or sane on the best of days, let's not push our luck."
Black snorted with laughter. "You're right, Snape. I try, but the Black madness is very real." Taking the potion, he turned to the coven leader. "Is there a room I can rest in for a few hours?"
"He can use mine," Jasper offered. "I won't be leaving Harry."
"I'll show you the way." Esme offered kindly.
"Sirius, do you want me..."
"No!" Sirius snapped at his mate. "I don't need you watching over me. Either help clean up this mess, or return to Grimmauld."
Remus lowered his head. "I'm staying."
As Esme led the way, she looked softly up at the wizard. "Are you ever going to forgive your mate for hurting Harry?"
Sirius sighed loudly. "I love Remus, don't get me wrong, but right now everything is so raw. He has hurt my pup one too many times, I'm not going to let this go easily. I know Remus can be a very kind and caring man, but he can also be selfish and he uses his wolf as an excuse for his selfish actions. I don't know if I'll ever forgive him, but I'm sure once Harry wakes he'll guilt me into giving him another chance. That boy has such a big and pure heart."
"I can't wait to get to know him better." Esme grinned. "My Jasper is head over heals in love with your boy so he must be pretty amazing."
Sirius groaned. "I'm not ready to think about my pup in a relationship or mated to anyone, I still see him as a baby. I missed so damn much of his life and now everything is moving too fast."
"Well, you don't have to worry about Jasper pressuring your godson into doing anything he's not ready for. As an empath, Jasper will be able to feel what Harry is feeling, and despite what the wolves think, Jasper is a good guy. The amount of restraint he has shown these past for months is amazing. I don't think I could have been kept away from my human mate."
Sirius chuckled. "Yeah, I remember the morning of my sixteenth birthday when Remus first scented me as his mate. I didn't know if he was going to rip my throat out or fu..." Sirius blushed. "Well, you get the idea. Remus lost complete control that morning...which was fine with me." He said with a wink.
"I know you're upset with your mate right now, but give yourself time to cool off and think clearly before pushing him all the way away. I can see how much he loves you, and sometimes people in love do stupid things."
Sirius grunted. "I will take your advice into consideration. Thank you for allowing me to stay in your home."
"You're family now, Mr. Black, you'll always be welcome here."
"Then you better start calling me Sirius."
