Power Paradox

Part 2

Chapter 14

Where we left off- Nick nods and walks down the ramp staring at the lines of beds. "All these people." He whispers with a mix of horror and relief, he scans Harry and frowns. "What's that?" The grimm points to the piece of polished wood in Harry's hand.

Harry looks down at his hand, this is why he should have left his wand home. "Fuck."

Now-

Feb.5 1am ish

Harry's feet seem rooted to the floor while he glares at his wand. He relives the last few minutes with a groan, in his fury he'd forgotten all about the fact that he was working with muggles. It's been so long since he's had muggle friends in general. He runs his free hand through his hair while Nick moves closer. Fuck it. Who was he kidding, he would have told Nick eventually anyway. "It's my wand." He holds it out a bit for Nick to get a better look.

Nick's eyebrows crease together, he looks at Harry then the wand and back a few times. More pieces seem to click together in his eyes. "You're joking." He says incredulously.

Harry coughs uncomfortably and shakes his head. "No joke. I can't tell you more right now." He starts off, carefully tucking his wand into the holster strapped to his forearm. "But I can explain everything when all this is dealt with." He pleads.

The grimm presses his lips together tightly, observing the dozens of sedated people around them. "Yeah, ok." Nick speaks quietly, it's obvious he'd prefer differently but the man is practical enough to understand that now isn't the best of time. "I guess I'll go find Hank and call this in. Are you going to stick around?"

Harry shakes his head no. "It'll be less complicated for you if you don't have to explain my being here. I'll head back to the hotel and notify the Council. We can meet whenever you want after that and I'll tell you everything, I swear."

Nick nods after a bit of consideration. "Yeah, I guess that's probably for the best. You should go before someone wakes up and sees you. I'll call you tomorrow." The grimm's gaze flickers around them again, they can hear Hank calling the all clear from the other side of the house. "Thanks for all your help Harry, I hate to think what would have happened to all these people if you hadn't."

Harry gives the shorter man a tight smile. "Same to you, we make a good team. Talk to you tomorrow Nick, try to get some rest eventually." He pats Nick on the shoulder before heading out through the back door.

"Thanks but this is gonna take a while… Be careful out there Harry." Nick whispers then heads back inside the house to look for Hank.

Harry turns back for a brief nod and steps outside quickly. He's got some things to fix before he can leave the area. He makes his way towards the geier he'd cursed, the creature is still sprawled on the ground moaning, and vomiting occasionally. The counter-curse takes effect in no time at all, the grotesque pustules that had spread across the geiers body disappear without a trace. A quick sleeping charm, followed by a few modified memories and Harry is finally able to make his way back to his motorcycle.

He berates himself all the way back into town for his slip up. It takes longer than it normally would have taken him for the simple fact that he obeys the speed limit the whole way. He doesn't want to add getting pulled over to his list of situations to get out of tonight.

When Harry makes it back to his hotel room, it's nearly two in the morning. He starts undressing the minute the door closes behind him and leaves a trail of stuff from the hallway to his bedroom. He has to force himself to send a text to Sean with a quick breakdown of the nights events, hopefully he'll make things go a bit smoother for Nick and Hank.

If he wasn't already exhausted, Harry's sure he'd be too worried about his earlier fuck up to actually sleep. Instead of considering the pitfalls of having muggle friends, Harry drifts off to sleep with the warmth of Nick's smile at the forefront of his thoughts.


Feb.6 noon'ish

Harry is having tea and watching the news when he sees his uncle's face appear on the screen. He listens to Sean's rather masterfull handling of the press as he reassures the public that they are safe. The older man is the perfect image of a proud police chief while he credits the efforts of his department and lead detectives for their roles in bringing a black market organ ring to an end.

He turns the tele off as soon as the interview is finished to get up and stretch his legs. He's a bit surprised Sean hadn't called him first thing in the morning, instead all he'd received was a short text thanking Harry for the way he'd handled the situation but nothing else.

While Harry sets about cleaning up the kitchen he does his best not to think about the fact that he hasn't heard anything back from Nick. He tells himself that the grimm had had a much longer night than him and is probably sleeping still, hopefully Nick isn't currently buried in paperwork. He doesn't miss having days like that.

Harry sighs loudly, he's still firm on his decision to quit being an auror and make the move to Portland. Though he still hasn't told anyone about it. This morning he'd gone through the rent ads again and had finally found something that looked promising. He'd called the number right away to make an appointment and after talking to a charming older woman he was due to see the place tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps he should call Monroe, ask the man to go with him.

The phone rings from the living room and Harry rushes to dry his hands off. He telekinetically summons the device and he lets go of the breath he'd been holding when the caller ID show's it's Nick. "Hi Nick." His voice comes across more wary than he means it to.

"Hey Harry." Nick's voice sounds scratchy from sleep. "How are you?"

"Well, better than you by the sounds of it. Did you just get up?" Harry glances at his watch, it's nearly 1:30 in the afternoon.

The grimm's chuckle is gravely and low, Harry stamps on the squirm in his stomach. "Well I did have a bit of a late night, thankfully the captain gave Hank and I the day off."

Harry smiles, glad to hear that Sean is considerate of his officers' wellbeing. Nick speaks again before he can reply with anything witty.

"So um, about that talk?" The grimm asks, somewhat awkwardly.

"Any time you want Nick." Harry says it with more confidence than he actually has. His stomach is starting to tie itself into knots, he's never told a muggle about magic before… But Nick isn't just a muggle.

"I was, um, hoping now? If you aren't busy." Nick asks hopefully.

"Nope, I'm all yours. Would you mind coming to my hotel room? This isn't the sort of conversation for a coffee shop, you know." Harry shakes his head at his choice of words; it brings to mind too many images that he knows this simple conversation shouldn't evoke.

"Sure, text me the address and I'll head right over. Thanks Harry." Nick sounds so relieved when they exchange goodbyes that Harry hangs up knowing he's doing the right thing by telling his friend the truth.


As soon as he hangs up, Nick goes to grab his jacket. He's been awake for an hour and is already showered and dressed. He'd made the call to Harry as soon as he'd had a cup of coffee in him.

He's filling up his travel mug with what's left in the coffee pot when he hears Juliette come through the front door. Nick freezes up for a moment, he hadn't counted on her being home early.

She comes around the corner with a small bag of groceries. "Oh hey Nick, you're already up?" Her smile falters a bit once she's put the bag on the counter and notices that Nick is wearing his coat. She glances at his togo mug and frowns. "I thought you had the day off?"

"I do, I was just about to go meet with a friend." He frowns at himself realizing he's never really said that before; his friends were technically Juliette's friends and so he only really interacted with them while with Juliette. He can tell she's thinking the same thing.

She gives him a goofy smile and squeezes his arm. "You made a new friend?" She's practically gushing.

"Yeah, you remember Harry? The P.I. from when I was in the hospital." Nick forces himself to relax, he doesn't even know why he's on edge.

"Oh yeah!" Juliette exclaims in recognition. "He seemed nice. How did that happen?"

"Well," Nick starts off slowly to sort out what he can say about his friendship with Harry. "We crossed paths a few times since then because of work and just started chatting. He's new in town and I offered to show him around a bit." Nick doesn't truly feel guilty glossing over the details, there's too much he just can't bring himself to tell her about.

Juliette gives him a look that's a mix of sappy and proud. "Awe, that's really nice of you." She gives Nick a peck on the cheek. "I'm glad you're finally making your own friends outside of work. You two have fun and say hi for me!"

Nick half snorts while she starts putting the groceries away but he smiles widely. "I will, I should be back before dinner. Love you." He hugs her gently on his way out.

"Love you too!" Juliette shouts back as she's leaning down into the fridge.


Nick knocks on Harry's hotel room door firmly. He spends the time trying to settle down his nervous energy by fiddling with his shirt. There had been implications made last night that he desperately wants the answers to but there's something else about this meeting that feels important to him. He's just not sure what it is. When Harry does open the door to greet him with a warm smile, Nick is just undoing the top of his button up, for the third time.

"Nick! Come in, please." The british man invites him in with a wave of his hand.

Nick almost stops to stare, this is the first time he's seen Harry in casual clothes. Harry's clothing has always looked tailored, almost formal, now however the much taller man is wearing dark coloured fitted jeans and a well worn maroon sweater with a giant golden H on the front. It's not out of place, in fact, Nick finds it suits his friend quite well.

Instead of staring, the grimm follows the other man into a narrow hallway with a kitchenette on the right and a large living area ahead of them. "Nice view." He comments on his way to the window to peer down at the river.

"Thanks, I quite like it." Harry says with a motion to take Nick's coat. "I suppose that'll do for small talk yeah." The man smiles and winks down at him.

Nick hands over his coat, he gets that Harry is joking with him but he still feels a wave of embarrassment over his own awkwardness. The other man's playful nature always seems to catch him off guard.

"Would you like some tea or coffee? This is gonna take some time." Harry talks as he absently puts the coat away then motions for him to take a seat. He seems more nervous than Nick has ever seen him before.

"I'll probably take some coffee later but I'm good for now thanks." He sits down to watch Harry pour steaming water from a kettle and drop a little teabag in a large red cup.

Once Harry's sat down in front of Nick, the man pauses for a moment then takes a familiar piece of wood from the inside of his sweater sleeve. "So, what sort of conclusions have you made so far, detective?" The man asks playfully after setting the wand down on the coffee table.

Nick huffs and grins, he's good at this game at least. He leans forward, hands coming together while he orders the facts in his head. "Well, first off its all in the name isn't it? Zauber means warlock and hexen is for witch. The books didn't have much but there's mentions of spells, potions, hexes. I've seen you move objects without touching them and you can read minds." It feels more incredible to him the more he says it out loud. "You called that a wand." Nick makes to touch it but tucks his hands back in, he bites his lip before looking up at Harry. "You can do real magic."

Harry grins widely and claps his hands together. "Yes! And no. It's much more complicated than that."

"Of course it is." Nick snorts. It could never be simple. He straightens at a stray thought. "How much more complicated?"

Harry brightens even more. "A whole new world." He sweeps his hand across the air making Nick laugh. "Sorry, I've never had to tell anyone about this. I get a bit silly when I'm nervous and I've had a lot of tea today." The man takes a gulp of said tea and sets the cup down with a steady hand. "You're right that I can do magic. You've gone slightly off track on the how, however."

"How so?" Nick asks with a frown. The prospect that magic is real feels too fantastical to be true but with what he's seen over the past few months, it's not a huge leap. It's more the notion that there's even more hiding out there that makes the grimm wary.

Harry responds with a surprised frown of his own. "Really, you're not gonna ask for more proof?"

"Well, umm." Nick stops and reconsiders what he'd been about to say. "I've already seen the proof, haven't I?"

Harry snorts and shakes his head. "Mate, you haven't seen anything yet. I guess I need to start off at the beginning. Get comfortable." He swings one leg over another and leans back into the couch, arms braced up on the back.

Nick settles back, legs stretch out slightly and hands resting on his stomach. He listens to Harry while the man introduces him to yet another secret society.

"When it all started, who was the first, nobody knows the answers to those questions. Being wesen doesn't make you magical and being magical doesn't make you wesen but you can be both or neither. In the end though, we're all human. Mostly." Harry snorts and waves his own comment away. "Anyway. Being a wizard means I can transform my teacup into a toad and fly on a broom. I can read minds with the right spell or summon more TP when the roll is empty. Wizards and witches use wands to channel their inner magic and most importantly they live separately from non magic folks. I'm sure you can figure out why since it's the same reason wesen went into hiding."

"So you're saying you're both a wizard and a wesen?" Nick's eyebrows knit together trying to wrap his head around the idea.

Harry nods and takes another sip of tea. "The technical term is ursprünglich wesen, mouthful I know, but it basically means, original or primary wesen. Doubt it actually means what it implies, since, again, no one truly knows the who/what/when and few people even remember we exist outside of myth. So, yes, you can be both magical and wesen with the right sets of parents. It's not just zauberbiests and hexenbiests either, just about any wesen could also have magic but it's getting rarer."

Nick asks another question as soon as it pops into his head. He's enjoying the feeling of having someone actually give him straightforward answers. "Why is it getting rarer?"

Here Harry sighs sadly and sinks further into the couch, causing his sweater to roll up slightly at the hem. "Loads of different reasons but the result is the same, the divide between each species is getting larger. More and more wesens are born without magic and the magical world is becoming more secular because they fear muggle technology will expose them. The ursprünglich wesen are essentially being bred out into extinction."

Nick purses his lips, fingers tapping nervously on his leg. The subject is obviously distressing to his friend, he can understand why. Perhaps now would be a good opportunity to change the topic. "Can you really turn your teacup into a toad?"

Harry laughs, his morose expression is replaced by happy green eyes. He cracks his knuckles and picks up his wand. "I learned the first variation of this spell in my second year. One toad, coming up!"

The grimm watches with wide eyes when Harry taps his tea cup once with the wand. A small jet of clear mist covers the cup and Nick jumps about a foot off the couch when a small green toad takes its place. "Holy shit!" He laughs in wonder when the little creature hops around the coffee table with a croak.

Harry smiles in Nick's direction with unexpected warmth. "Glad you're taking this so well."

Nick leans in closer to the little toad and pokes it. It croaks in protest and hops away towards Harry. Another tap of the wand, a clear mist appears over the toad, turning it back into a cup. He looks up at Harry, impressed. "You learned to do this in the second grade?"

"No, no. I was twelve, I think, when we were taught the first version of the spell." Harry answers while scratching his beard in thought. "That feels like ages ago."

"So you learned magic at a school?" Nick shakes his head, incredulous. When Harry nods his head with a mischievous smile, he laughs out loud. "I can't imagine what that must've been like, a school full of teenagers who can do magic on top of everything else." Nick snorts. "I have a feeling I should pity your teachers in particular."

Harry smirks, brushing a hand through his dark hair. "Well… There may have been a few incidents here and there."

The next few hours devolve into the two of them sharing stories of their school days. Harry does most of the talking though Nick knows that he's getting a very brief rendition of the other man's childhood. Harry talks about the sorts of classes he took, the trouble he and his friends got into while at boarding school. Eventually the focus turns more on Harry's role as an auror, a magical police officer, and how the magical world keeps itself hidden.

It's a fascinating, if daunting, idea that there's real magic out there. Whole societies driven to incredible feats just to hide themselves from humans. Some places, like the US, going as far as forbidding anything more than the barest of interactions with non magical people. Harry lays it out there, even though they often get side tracked by Nick's frequent questions.

"I guess you must be missing your friends back in England." Nick says tentatively once they've looped back around to Harry's homeland. He takes a gulp of coffee.

"I do. But." Harry stops for a second, he takes a long sip of his beer before giving Nick an odd look and gets up to go into his kitchen. "Hold on a sec." When he comes back, he's holding a rentals magazine in his hand. "I actually really like it here and my job back home really isn't going where I want to." The man sits down next to Nick and hands him the magazine, it's folded open with one of the ads underlined red.

"You're moving here for real?" Nick smiles widely. He can't deny that it had been a worry at the back of his mind. The idea that Harry was only here for a temporary job and would eventually have to go back home hadn't sat well with him. He can't keep the joy and relief out of his voice when he looks up at his friend. "That's awesome!"

Harry smiles as he adjusts his glasses. "I'm glad you think so. Hopefully I can get the same response from everyone else. I'm going to see that place tomorrow."

"You haven't told anyone else yet?" Nick looks at Harry a bit confused. There is a part of him that preens over the fact that he's the first to know but he can't help wondering why Harry wouldn't have told his family first.

The man shrugs. "I wanted to wait until I found a place but I guess I should really start telling folks, uh? My boss isn't gonna be happy." Harry sighs and stretches himself out next to Nick.

Nick shakes his head. "I think you should probably start telling your family at least."

Harry groans, followed by another heavy sigh. "My dad is gonna freak."

"Can't be that bad." Nick tries to keep himself from laughing at the eyeroll his friend gives him. "What about your mom?" He regrets the question the moment he sees the sadness take over Harry's eyes.

"My mum died when I was a baby." Harry says it gently as he pats Nick on the arm. "Don't feel bad about it, I'm just used to everyone around me knowing the story already."

Nick folds in on himself a little. He swallows the lump in his throat. "My parents died when I was twelve… My aunt raised me after that but she passed away a few months ago."

Harry surprises Nick by squeezing his arm lightly and offers him an understanding nod. "I heard about the reapers chasing after her. I'm sorry. She was pretty badass from the stories I remember." He pauses to look outside. "It's getting late." Harry seems to want to say more but remains silent.

Nick looks up to see the darkening sky. "Crap, I told Juliette I'd be home for dinner." He sighs before getting up. He doesn't want to leave but he has too.

"You should go then." Harry looks up at him and Nick can see the other man feels that same way.

The grimm makes his way towards the closet to grab his coat. "Thank you for telling me about… well, everything." He's still processing it all, they've talked about so much and it'll most likely take a few days before the reality really hits him. Now that he understands all the secrets Harry is expected to keep though, he's grateful for the trust Harry has shown him. Whatever doubts about the authenticity of their friendship Nick had had before their talk is gone.

Harry gets up to walk Nick out. "You don't have to thank me for telling a friend the truth but you're welcome anyway."

Nick shrugs. "You didn't have too, and I know you're breaking some pretty big laws by telling me about it. So yeah, I do." He clears his throat as he reaches for the door. He turns back to look up at Harry who's standing right behind him. He asks the question on his mind before he chicken's out. "I don't suppose you'd be up to tell me more about your world some other time?"

Harry beams, green eyes crinkling behind his glasses. "Any time, just ask." The man leans into the door as Nick steps out in the hallway, stretching lazily.

Nick nods, he's not quite sure what to say. He feels stupid standing there in the hotel hallway staring at Harry's long frame. He's gotta think of something to say. "Let me know how the house search goes?"

"I will. Wish me luck!" Harry hesitates at his door. "Have a good night Nick."

"Have a good night Harry." Nick waves awkwardly and forces himself to turn around. He marches to the elevator and looks back to see Harry still waiting in his door frame. He waves again and chuckles at the dopey smile and wave he gets in return. The elevator shows up too quickly and Nick steps in with an arrested breath.

He watches his slightly distorted reflection in the door as it closes. He's got his own dopey grin on and suddenly, it clicks. "Uh." Nick revisits his past interactions with Harry, right down to their first meeting. He considers the bubbly tight feeling in the pit of his stomach that's always present around the other man. "I'm so screwed."


Feb.6 evening

Harry closes the door behind him and releases a long breath. He takes off his glasses to rub the bridge of his nose. His talk with Nick had gone exceptionally well, not that he had anything to really measure it up against. At the same time however, he's realizing that his attraction to the grimm is growing beyond the physical as they become closer and that's not so much of a good thing.

Nick had been right though, Harry really does need to start telling some people about his move. Especially now that he's got a potential home in his sights. He glances down at his watch, it's almost seven pm which means it's nearly three am back in London. He certainly can't call anyone right now.

Harry needs to talk to someone though. If he doesn't, he's going to pace around this living room overanalyzing his entire conversation with Nick. Agonizing over every single moment where he thought maybe the chemistry wasn't just one way.

He reaches for his phone and calls the only person he knows will listen to him and keep the mocking to a minimal level. It rings twice before picking up. "Hey Monroe, you busy?"


Feb.7 early morning

Harry's alarm wakes him at 6:30. He's got a busy day ahead of him so he pushes himself out of bed despite wanting to hit the snooze. It takes a shower and a strong cup of tea to clear his head, by that time the clock has clicked just past 7.

After his chat with Monroe last night, Harry feels a bit more confident about, well everything really. The blutbad had been ecstatic to hear that he was finally taking the plunge to find his own place in Portland. Monroe had eagerly agreed to accompany Harry to his first house viewing.

When it came to Harry's nervousness concerning his family's reaction to the move, Monroe's advice had been simple but effective. They're your family man, sure they might get a bit sad but it's the modern age. With the internet you're never really that far away, you know. Harry hadn't really been able to argue with his friend's reasoning, especially when you added magic to the mix. Though it was a reminder that Harry should have the same conversation with Monroe as he'd just had with Nick.

Harry had eventually forced himself to bring up the fact that he was having difficulty separating his attraction from his friendship with Nick. While Monroe hadn't really had any particular advice on that front, stating his own dismal failures in matters of love, he had offered to be a sympathetic ear should Harry ever need it again.

Now Harry is digging through his luggage, looking for an old mirror he's been carrying with him since his 14th birthday. It sits in a side panel, alongside a few newer ones, each protected with an unbreakable charm.

He sits down on the sofa and gets comfortable. Harry casts a hovering charm on the two-way mirror so that it floats a short distance from his face. He clears his throat before speaking out loud, "Sirius Black."

It doesn't take long for Harry's father's cheerful face to appear in the mirror. "Harry!" Despite being in his early 50's, the older man looks a good decade younger. An old motorcycle sits in pieces in the background and there's a bit of grease smeared on his dad's face.

"Hey dad." Harry feels himself relax at the familiar sight, he smiles and waves. "D'you have a mo?"

Sirius raises a dark eyebrow, a small uptick curls the corner of his mouth. "Not in trouble over those geiers are you?"

Harry rolls his eyes and shakes his head. "Of course not. Heard about that already did you?" His father may be a member of the council but Sirius only ever attends meetings when absolutely necessary. He hadn't expected the news to have reached his old man after barely two days.

"Do you really think De Groot doesn't send me an owl any time he gets an update from you?" Sirius snorts then gives Harry a considering stare. "So what other sort of trouble are you in?"

"Merlin! I'm not in any trouble. Can't a son just call his father to say hullo?" He huffs, exasperated and pushes himself further into the couch. He looks out towards the window to see it's just starting to rain. Technically, one could say his crush on a grimm might indeed get him in trouble but he's not about to start talking to Sirius about that. He can't imagine the sort of ribbing he'd get for it.

Sirius laughs out loud, first in loud guffaws that slowly die down to near snickers.

Harry sighs, head tilting back while he waits for his father's giggles to stop. "Fine, I did have something I wanted to talk to you about.

"Ah ah! See, can't teach this old dog new tricks." The older man winks at Harry, earning a snort. "So! What's going on son?"


2 hours later…

"He took it surprisingly well. I feel a bit like a berk honestly, I don't know why I was so worried about all of your reactions to begin with." Harry scratches the back of his head as he wraps up his conversation with Hermione.

The witch tuts on the other end. "Well, you said it, not me." Hermione laughs. "I will admit I'm not happy it took you so long but I'm not surprised either. I am surprised Ron took it so well though."

Harry nods to himself. While delivering the news to Sirius and Hermione had gone swimmingly, Ron had been a bit harder to convince that he wasn't completely mental. "I was too, I did have to promise that I'd be there for Clara's birthday and every single holiday he could think of really." Not that it was a hard promise to make, especially given that his goddaughter's birthday wasn't until mid summer.

"I hope we'll get to see you before then but I'm sure that means a lot to Ron. So, tell me about this place you've got your eye on?" Hermione inquires eagerly.


Feb.7 11ish

"Thanks again for coming with me." Harry gives Monroe a grateful smile from the passenger seat of his friend's little yellow car. It's another rainy day in Portland so he's glad he doesn't have to ride his bike in this slosh.

"No worries man. Like I told you last night, glad I can help you out. It's not like I had any plans today anyway." Monroe shrugs while keeping his attention on the twisty mountain roads. "This place is pretty far out in the woods, I'm kinda jealous."

Harry chuckles. "It's not mine yet. But it would be nice to live out in nature again." Aside from Hogwarts, he'd always lived in large cities like London or New York.

They make idle chit chat for a few more minutes before Monroe pulls into a small range road. The small car bounces and dips making Harry's head thunk on the roof. "Well, you don't get much more nature than this. Woah, this is a nice place." Monroe is practically leaning over his steering wheel to get a good look at what is coming into view.

The thick canopy of trees over the road fades into a large clearing with a few sparse trees. The rain is now falling in a light mist, creating a faint fog around the house. Harry can see the small log home nestled near a few large pines. There's a wooden fence that looks more like a paddock surrounding a decent sized lot with a dog house beside it. The scene reminds him a little bit of Hagrid's home, the only thing really out of place is the large satellite dish on the roof. "The picture really didn't do it justice."

They step out of the car onto a stone paved walkway. Monroe whistles. "Dude, this place is amazing." The blutbad takes a deep breath of mountain air then makes a funny face. "Phew, so these folks have a dog. A big one."

Harry chuckles. "Well I assumed as much based on the dog house but I'm guessing this is one of those times where having a great sense of smell is a bit of a bother."

"Oh yeah." Monroe agrees with a vigorous shake of his head.

They follow the path as it curves along the fence and a few trees before bringing them to a wooden door painted green. As expected, as soon as Harry knocks firmly a loud bark begins.

Harry turns to Monroe with a smirk when one of the owner's voices can be heard on the other side.

"Ruby! C'mon here!" A woman's voice calls out amid a flurry of barking. "Ed! Ruby, hush you silly girl. Come get the door. ED!"

Ed finally answers back after the final shout. "I'm coming Lois. Ruby! Down girl. I told you we should have put her outside." The sound of footsteps come closer to the door while the barking fades out before it opens. The elderly man on the other side peaks his head out. . "Good morning, Mr. Black?" He gazes curiously between Harry and Monroe.

Harry steps forward, giving his most charming smile. "Yes, sir. But please, just Harry is fine. This is my friend Monroe, he's helping me with my house hunting. I hope that's not a problem."

"No, no, please come in. I hope you didn't have a hard time getting here." Ed steps back to let Harry and Monroe in.

"No problem at all." Monroe says from behind Harry as they walk into the most charming little house he's ever seen.

The entryway has a small closet on the right where Harry and Monroe are directed to hang their coats. A few steps forward leads them out of the short hall into a large rectangular living room painted a light green, there's a set sliding glass doors that lead into the fenced yard on the far right wall. On the left, placed in the middle of the house is a wall made of cut tree trunks cut on the bias that separates the kitchen from the living room. On the living room side of the wall sits a cast iron wood stove.

"Hello!" Lois' voice captures Harry's attention. The elder woman walks in from the far end of the kitchen. "Sorry about Ruby, she's a bit wound up. We don't get many visitors."

"It's no problem, truly." Harry smiles while shaking Lois's hand. "Harry Black, thank you for showing me your home on such short notice." The house is perfect and he isn't ashamed of the fact that he cranks the old english gentlemen charm up to the max.

Lois tuts with a warm expression on her face and pats his hand. "Oh, we've actually had this place up for rent since Ed retired a few months ago. We were glad to have someone so interested." She glances around Harry and shakes her head with an exasperated smile.

Harry turns to see Monroe and Ed in a deep discussion over the antique wood stove. Ed is in the middle of an obviously long winded history while Monroe listens attentively with delight. He chuckles as he turns back to Lois. "My friend Monroe lives in the city, offered me a lift on account of the rain. He's a bit of an antique nut. I believe your husband has found himself a captivated audience." He smirks.

The elder woman looks on at the scene a little longer with fondness. She glances up at Harry then shrugs. "Isn't that something." She chuckles. "Why don't I show you the rest of the house?"

"That would be lovely. You have a beautiful home." Harry waves for her to lead the way. He loves what he's seen so far and doubts there's anything that could change his mind.

The house isn't very large, in fact the layout is rather similar to Monroe's house though this is a one story home. Once passing through the slightly dated but well maintained kitchen, they pass through the dining room. It's big enough to comfortably fit a table for four and a small breakfast nook that sits below a large window adorned with frilly curtains. The view isn't anything spectacular for the moment but Lois promises the sunrises are magnificent.

From the dining area Harry is led to an L shaped hallway. Straight ahead on the left is a small bathroom, the room is essentially a water closet but Harry is assured that the master bathroom more than makes up for it. They move on to the laundry room that also serves as extra storage. The hall ends with a door leading outside, Harry can see a large Irish hound bouncing up to the door's window with the occasional curious bark.

"Ruby's a bit excitable around strangers but she's a big chicken." Lois chuckles as she turns them around to head back towards the dining room. This time they turn down the other hall towards the bedrooms. First is the spare bedroom, which is currently Lois' craft room; it could also work as a generous office space.

The master bedroom door is right next to the spare. "This room and the bathroom are additions from, oh, ten years ago after we first bought this place. We wanted someplace quiet after the kids all moved out. I imagine the tub might actually fit a tall fellow like you." Lois steps out of Harry's way while motioning for him to have a look around.

The room is slightly bigger than the other, large closet doors line the far wall with a door in the far right corner that must lead to the master bath. A set of windows line the outside let in plenty of light, making the space feel light and airy. Harry carefully makes his way around the furnishings to the bathroom, trying not to feel like an intruder. It's easy to picture his own things over what's currently there though.

Harry's grin widens the moment he opens the last door. He chuckles at the unexpected surprise. This space doesn't really fit with the rustik theme the rest of the home has, instead going for a more self indulgent mountain retreat feel. A large jacuzzi tub sits in the far corner under a bay window, white porcelain double sinks line the opposite wall, with the toiler neatly tucked away at the other end. He whistles, impressed.

"Those big things used to be all the rage back in the day." Lois pops up behind Harry with a cheeky grin. "Why, I bet you and your fella out there could probably fit in there no problem." She winks at his mortified expression.

"Oh, um. Monroe really is just a friend." Harry fumbles, cheeks reddening because while he doubts he and his blutbad friend would fit, he'd been in the middle of picturing just how perfectly himself and Nick would.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I d-" Lois starts to apologize and Harry holds up a hand up to stop her. He realizes he could say nothing and simply move on but he wants to acknowledge what the older woman tried to do.

He smiles, keeping the levity Lois had tried to impart. "Don't get me wrong, he's a handsome guy but I haven't had a boyfriend in a long time." He motions for the two of them to head back. "I'm glad to know that should that change that wouldn't be an issue with you." Yes, Harry loved this house but he'd have kept looking if it had meant renting from bigots.

Lois claps her hands together happily. "I take it you like the house?"

Harry nods quickly as they walk back through the dining room. "I love it! The ad said you were looking for a renter as quickly as possible?"


Harry sits at the Weller's dining table going over the last few paragraphs of his new renter's contract. Monroe sits on his left chatting with Ed about the grandfather clock that sits in the corner of the room. He looks up to share a commiserating eyeroll with Lois.

Things had been pretty straight forward after Harry had expressed his interest in renting the home. They all sat around the table to agree on dates and responsibilities; the Wellers had been set to move on the 20th of this month whether they had found a renter or not. Which suited Harry just fine as he was getting rather tired of living out of the hotel. He had insisted on taking financial responsibility for any future maintenance, though he'd had to argue a fair bit with Ed over the matter.

At the mention of Harry's financial stability, he talked briefly of his job as police officer in the UK leading to his current work as a private investigator for both civilians and the Portland police department. He didn't mention his already sizable funds from various investments that essentially made it so Harry didn't actually have to work. It's not something he ever talks about anyway. Having to list Sean as his work reference however had made him realize he still had to tell his uncle about the move to begin with.

It's now time for Harry to list his account information and he stops his pen mid air. His sudden discomfort is obvious enough for Lois to notice. "What is it dear?"

Of course her question brings Monroe and Ed's conversation to a halt, they both turn to look at Harry.

He wants to bang his head on the table, how could he not have considered this. Being Harry Black comes with a lot of little strings that he's simply gotten used to ignoring. It's rare for this particular matter to crop up, especially in more modern times when being part of the British peerage doesn't mean as much as it used to. Now however, with a document that would give access to his bank account, it's unavoidable.

Harry leans back in his chair, briefly closing his eyes. "It's not a big deal really." He adjusts his hold on the pen before looking down. For the use of muggle currency, all of Harry's galleons are routed through a special muggle branch of Gringotts, which in and of itself isn't the issue here. The issue is the goblins insist that all proper names and titles be used for any financial transactions. "I just don't think there's enough space on the line for my name…" He can't keep the embarrassment out of his voice.

As one, three heads lean over the contract and look back up with confusion. Monroe speaks up first. "What, you got a million middle names or something?"

Harry frowns and mumbles. "Or something." He groans and scratches his beard with his free hand before looking around the table. "It's more that my title has to be on there for the bank to approve these."

"Title?" Lois asks curiously while Monroe and Ed look at Harry with large eyes.

He ignores the others' stare and focuses on Lois, clearing his throat as he extends his hand. "Harry James Potter-Black, Earl of Clare, at your service."


Harry steps into the vw beetle's passenger side, the rain has stopped and the sunshine warmed his back on the short walk. He watches Monroe get behind the wheel and start the car in silence.

"So." Monroe finally speaks, the blutbad had been silent since they'd said goodbye to the Wellers. He doesn't seem angry with Harry, it's more like a fog of confusion and awe is clouding his mind. "Earl, uh." He speaks with an almost girlish giggle while trying to remain focused on the road.

"Please, it's not that big a deal." Harry insists but the offended look on his friend's face says it's a futile endeavor.

"Dude! It so is a big deal!" Monroe shakes his head with fond exasperation. "Look I promise I'm not trying to make it weird but c'mon. You can't drop a bomb like that and not expect people to have a reaction." The blutbad is ramping up, and Harry doesn't bother objecting. "I thought Lois was gonna faint, poor woman." They share a chuckle. "I understand why you don't go around telling people you got some fancy title for being a good cop but you could've told me." There's a bit of hurt in the blutbad's tone despite his smile.

Harry shakes his head to himself, he'd stretch the truth out a bit while giving the Wellers and his friend a very condensed explanation for his Earldom. "I was actually hoping to have a chat with you after seeing the house, this would have come up but it's…"

"Let me guess, more complicated than that?" Monroe turns his head with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah, I figured as much. Wanna go back to mine and chat over some beers? I've got this new batch of crafts from a place outside the city you're gonna love." The older wesen's posture relaxes at Harry's nod.


Feb.7 afternoon

Harry sits in Monroe's living, he sips his beer while his leg bounces nervously.

"Dude, relax. If you really don't wanna talk about this we don't have to." Monroe looks at him from the couch with concern.

"No, it's fine." Harry tips the bottle back and drains the remainder of its contents. He takes a bracing moment to arrange his thoughts. Revealing his status as an Earl early had thrown his plan out of sync. He leans forward to place his empty bottle on the coffee table and studies Monroe for a moment and considers his friend. "Have you ever heard of ursprünglich wesen?"

Monroe whistles, his face scrunching up in mild confusion. "You mean those old country myths about gifted wesens who could do magic my nan used to tell me when I was a kid?"

Harry nods, at least Monroe had heard the term. "Not a myth." He says while locking his gaze with the blutbad.

"You're shitting me." The older man soff and leans forward, clearly suspicious. "Telekinesis isn't magic man."

He raises an eyebrow at his friend's dismissal. "Well, guess I'll have to prove it." He gets up from his favorite chair and removes his wand from it's holster in a single fluid movement.

Harry looks around the living with a critical eye and opts to use his empty bottle for his demonstration. He points the tip of the wand at the bottle's opening. "Aguamenti." He stops the spell just as the water is about to overflow and hands the bottle over to Monroe.

The wolf, because Monroe had woged the moment Harry had pulled out his wand, takes a cautious sniff of the bottle's new contents. He looks up to Harry completely mystified.

"Go ahead, it's just water." Harry sits back down with a smirk.

Monroe sniffs the bottle a few more times then takes a tiny slurp. His face lights up. "Holy shit! That's, like, the cleanest water I've ever tasted." He takes a few more generous gulps. "This is amazing!" He laughs. "How?" He looks at Harry with pure childlike wonder.

He shrugs, having never really cared for magical theory Harry really wasn't the best person to ask. He knows that Monroe's question is much broader than that though. "What do you remember from your nan's stories?" He's curious to see how accurate they will be.

Monroe blows out a long breath, he sits himself further into the couch while still clutching the bottle in his hand. "She was actually my great-grandmother on my mother's side, she was well over a hundred when I was just a little kid. I don't remember too much. She used to tell stories about how her husband had been a charms master before they came to the new world. How he always conjured the best flowers for her and here I always thought it was her way of saying he was a ladies' man…"

Harry chuckles. "I'm sure he was." He then begins to have essentially the same conversation he'd had with Nick. Though he goes about it differently for his wesen friend.

He starts by explaining how magicals had gone into hiding shortly after the wesen accords using magic to hide their communities and the Statute of Secrecy. The issues surrounding blood purity, squibs, muggleborns, and their impact on the wesen community takes the most time to explain. Mostly because Monroe has many questions as he tries to wrap his mind around the complicated genetic web the world seems to be composed of.

"This is so insane. I mean, it's amazing and incredible too. I'm so grateful you're telling me all this. But." Monroe says while massaging his temples. "But I still don't understand how this relates to the whole earl thing?"

"Ah yes. Well. We still haven't gotten to my own rather, colourful, history." Harry says with a sour face. There's a reason he'd decided not to hash out too much of his younger past with Nick. It's a conversation he hasn't really had to have since his early teens and he's always fearful of how it will change others perception of who he is.

"Yeah, I imagine there's a big story there." Monroe gets up with a groan. "Another beer?"

"Sure, don't worry, I'll get it." He waves for Monroe to sit back down and aims his wand towards the kitchen. He flicks it once to open the fridge door and then once more, "Accio beers!" The two beers he'd pictured in his mind zoom from the fridge to his waiting hands. He hands one over to his gaping friend.

"Show off!" Monroe shakes his head with a laugh. He tilts his head towards Harry as he twists the cap off. "Thanks."

"Ta!" Harry takes a sip from his own bottle. He's never had to tell someone this story, everyone in his life already knew. "So, back in the 70's a crazy wizard decided magicals, more specifically purebloods, should rule the world. I'm sure you see where this goes." He waits for Monroe to nod with grave understanding. "My parents were part of the resistance movement and eventually they were forced into hiding. I was about a year old when their location was betrayed. My dad was at work when it happened, their best friend died first and then my mom died trying to protect me." He takes a shaky breath and keeps his focus on the bottle in his hand. "I'm sure you're wondering what could possibly kill a hexenbiest who can do real magic." He sees Monroe nod and continues on. "There's a spell, ultimate taboo in the magical world and will get you a life sentence in prison, that will kill any living creature. One word, and a lot of hate in your heart, and whoever is in the path of that spell dies. There's no counter, doesn't matter who or what you are, you will die. Or at least most people do."

"No way…" Monroe breaths the statement out quietly.

Harry points to the barely visible scar above his brow and nods. "After that night, I became a legend to the magical world. The boy-who-lived, they used to call me." He snorts in contempt. "People say my mum was the cleverest witch of her generation. According to my grandmother and my dad, she was a great hexenbiest too. She had prepared a ritual ahead of time as a safeguard, old blood magic passed down between hexenbiests. Used her own murder to power it and protect me."

Monroe shakes his head, it's obvious he feels sad for Harry's sake but he seems to know that offering pity isn't the way to go. "That's some heavy shit man." There's a momentary pause. "So you're a famous wizard?"

"Oh, I wish that were it." Harry finishes his third beer with a forlorn sigh, he hates this story. It's more important for Monroe to know about Harry's past for their friendship to deepen though. "It's a long and complicated story, so I'll give you the express version. My dad was arrested after trying to kill the man who betrayed them, unfortunately the rat was able to fake his own death and framed my dad for a dozen other murders, including the betrayal of my mother and their best friend James. I was raised by my mother's kerhseite sister, knowing nothing of magic or wesen. When I was eleven I found out about magic and started attending Hogwarts. I also discovered how fikkle fame can be. I never wanted it, you know, all I wanted was to be an ordinary wizard."

"So, you didn't know you were wesen when you had your first woge? That must've been terrifying." Monroe looks at Harry aghast.

Harry snorts as he recalls the memory. He chuckles darkly and nods. "I was 13, there was an incident on the train that took us to school. I thought I was dying. But that was nothing compared to the shock my best friend Ron got. He's an eisbiber."

Monroe guffaws loudly for a short moment. "Ah dude, I'm sorry." The man wipes a tear away from his eyes. "Oh boy that must have been something."

Harry nods with a lopsided grin. "Scared the hell out of him that day but he stuck with me regardless ever since. Made me his daughter's godfather even."

"Wow." Monroe bobs his head. "So what happened after that?"

"Well." Harry coughs, a little embarrassed. "I lost control during a lesson…" He ignores his friend's whistle. "Trashed a classroom and had to be stunned by a teacher. Just so happened that he's half zauberbiest and had gone to school with my parents." Harry hesitates, normally he skips the part about his parents unique relationship.

Harry sighs before launching himself into the full tale. He starts with his mother's history and then her secret triad with James Potter and Sirius Black. The long complicated story of how Harry went from being Harry Potter, famous child wizard to Harry Black, scion of a noble pureblood family brings up a lot of conflicting emotions for him. Yet, it also feels good, cathartic almost, to share his story of his own volition. "After the media settled down and my father recovered from his ordeal, he received a lot of medals and commendations. Because his escape was brought to the attention of the muggle authorities, he was given a public pardon as well but of course it didn't stop there. Apparently the Queen was impressed enough by our story that she decided to gift the Black family with the muggle titles they had forfeited after the Statute of Secrecy was enacted. So my father became The Duke of Newcastle when I was 14."

Monroe scrunches his face up in thought. "So because your dad is a duke, you're an earl?"

Harry shakes his head. "I can use the courtesy title of marquess of Newcastle but the earldom I really did get for my police work when I was 25. Technically, I was working for the Council and took out a geier operation. That's not a matter of public records, obviously." He smirks.

"Obviously." Monroe rolls his eyes before going quiet. The blutbad takes a few moments to observe him.

The silence doesn't feel awkward, so Harry lets his friend think in peace. He looks at his watch, it's nearly dinner time. He looks about when Monroe clears his throat and gives him a nod.

"So, does Nick know about all this?" Monroe asks as he gets up and pops his back with a relieved groan.

"I told him about the wizard part yesterday but that's all. Got a bit carried away while at the geier compound and used magic. Nick saw my wand." Harry tuts in afront at Monroe's snicker. "That was not what I meant and you know it."

"Yeah but we both know it's your other wand you'd like him to see." The blutbad wiggles his eyebrows suggestively and chuckles at Harry's reddening cheeks. He leans forward and pats him on the shoulder. "Ah c'mon, can't expect me not to take an opening like that."

Harry shakes his head, looking up at his friend with a put upon smile. "You're really ok with all this?"

Monroe's face turns serious, he crouches down to meet his gaze. "Of course I'm ok with it. I mean the world is even crazier than I thought but that's life man. It doesn't change the fact that you're an awesome friend. Given all the shit you've been through, I'm pretty damn proud that I can say that." The blutbad stops and looks at his watch. "Well it does mean one thing though."

"And what's that?" Harry asks, suspicious of the other man's mischievous grin.

"You're paying for dinner tonight!" Monroe claps his hands with a laugh and makes his way towards the coat rack.

Harry sits with his mouth open for a second. He laughs, his heart feels light and happy. He can hardly believe how lucky he is to have found such a good friend in this older blutbad. He gets up to grab his gear. "Alright but only if we ride there on my bike. Sorry mate, but my legs are just too long, it makes me feel like a sardine."


Feb.7 evening

Harry is waving goodbye to Monroe when his phone vibrates in his pocket. He sits on his motorbike while keeping the engine running. He rests his helmet on his leg to get a better look at his screen.

It's a text from Sean asking him to meet him at his apartment as soon as possible. He sends a reply that he's on his way with a heavy sigh. So much for relaxing with a nice glass of fire whiskey after a delicious meal at the Raven and Rose. Instead, he's going in the opposite direction and judging by the tone of the text, the evening isn't going to be the relaxing sort.

He knocks on his uncle's door twenty minutes later with a worried frown. He hates getting vague urgent messages, it sets his teeth on edge. Still, by the time he hears footsteps approaching he's managed to settle himself down.

"Harry, thanks for coming so quickly. I hope I didn't disturb any plans?" Sean opens the door looking cool and relaxed as he invites Harry inside.

"I'd just finished having dinner with a friend so nothing to worry about." He waves his uncle off with a careless shrug. The apartment has become familiar enough that he moves to the living room and crashes on the sofa without thought.

Sean follows behind him with an amused smile and sits across from Harry with his usual casual grace. "Ah, a friend?" He asks with absolutely no subtlety.

"Oh shove off. Unlike you, I don't sleep with everyone I'm friends with." Harry childishly sticks his tongue out. He cringes internally at the thought of Sean finding out his nephew is crushing on one of his officers. "I've become good friends with a local blutbad, he's weider too, so don't give me that look."

"This wouldn't happen to be the same blutbad that's been helping Burkhardt?" Sean folds one leg over the other and steeples his hands together.

Harry nods. "He's a good bloke, you know. Actually I've been meaning to talk to you about a few things but first, shouldn't we be talking about why you asked me here so suddenly?" He props himself up and brings his legs off the sofa. It's a blatant tactic to change the subject but he really would rather find out why he's been summoned.

Sean's expression turns grave, he gets up from his chair and marches to his kitchen freezer without a word. When he returns, he places a small square box on the coffee table in front of Harry. "I received this before leaving the precinct tonight, along with an interesting call shortly after." He lifts the lid to reveal a human ear.

Harry looks from the box to his uncle with a single raised eyebrow. He's used to gruesome sights but his nose still scrunches in distaste. The severed organ is shriveled and freezer burned. "That looks rather old."

Sean hums with detached agreement. "Yes, I cut it off of a puffed up reaper in september." The man places the lid back on the box before sitting back down. "He wanted to take revenge on the grimm for his fallen comrade."

"September!" Harry growls out. "Why didn't you tell me about it then?" He glares at his uncle, he doesn't understand why something like this would be kept from him.

"I felt the matter was dealt with." Sean shrugs, quirking a brow at Harry's raised tone.

Harry scoffs, frustrated. He gets up from the couch and begins pacing around the living room. He takes a deep breath then presses his lips together; it's not like he'd told the man about the reapers sending a warning of their own to Monroe. He turns to meet his uncle's unwavering gaze and decides not to argue over something that happened months ago. "I'm assuming you told them to fuck off."

Sean chuckles. "Not in so many words, obviously but we need to be on the lookout regardless. Victor is getting impatient."

Harry slumps himself back on the couch. Now is probably a good time to talk about his move. "I guess it's a good thing I'm moving here then."

"You are?" Sean's face turns into a confused frown. He's clearly surprised by Harry's statement.

"I've been thinking about it for a while, I like Portland a lot. It's not just because my work with you and the grimm is important but I'm actually happy here. It's official now too. I called dad this morning, he's taking care of sorting things out for me in London. I found a nice place just out of town, I move in on the 20th." Harry smiles at the thought.

"I have to admit I didn't anticipate this when I asked for your help but I'm happy." Sean's smile is genuine, he rises and waves for Harry to follow him into the kitchen. "I think a toast is in order."

Harry follows gladly and grabs two large tumblers while the older zauberbiest pulls out a bottle filled with a clear amber liquid.

They toast to family and new beginnings. Harry spends a long time waxing poetic about his future home and his friendship with Monroe. It's a better evening than anticipated, even when the conversation turns to strategies against the inevitable retaliation from the reapers and the Royals.

He ends up going to sleep on his uncle's couch feeling tired but optimistic. It's not a feeling he's experienced in a very long time. Let them come, he thinks to himself as he drifts to sleep. He may not be able to act on his feelings for Nick but he's determined to protect the man no matter what.