Chapter 8

They went to sleep after the movie but Harry could feel Pike awake next to him an hour after they turned off the lights. Harry turned to look at Pike just barely visible with the light pouring from the window. Pike was starring at the ceiling. Harry poked him. Pike's blue eyes turned to him. "What is it?" Harry whispered.

Pike's jaw tensed. "It's nothing."

"Tell me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"You'll have nightmares." Harry swallowed. The hallways. His heartbeat increased. "Tell me," Harry insisted again. He was a Griffindor damn it.

Pike breathed out deeply. "I've been thinking about something. It's a theory I have about the hallways," Pike started. Harry concentrated on breathing evenly, on the softness of the pillows, the heavy, warm feeling of the duvet on top of him, and his breath coming in cold and leaving warm on exhale.

"We had no physical body in the hallways. How could we? if we needed the bodies of our alternate selves to inhabit a new world. We must have left our bodies in our world. Only our souls traveled to the hallways. We could have never opened our door because our soulless bodies were dead and buried. That's why we never felt hunger, or tiredness, or anything really while we were there."

Harry felt the visceral reaction that always came with the subject. A rock settled on the pit of his stomach, cold sweat in his skin, and saliva pool in his mouth. He always hated thinking about that place. They stayed in silence for a few minutes. Harry concentrated on his breathing. Slow and steady. He was not going to make Pike ignore his pain to take care of him. He just needed to last a few more minutes. Breathe in one, two, three. Out one, two, three. He kept his eyes open because if he closed them he would see the rope, the doors, maybe even the pools of blood of the worlds he was murdered.

"I keep thinking of all the ways it could have gone wrong but miraculously didn't," Pike continued, "We stayed together. Can you imagine if we had decided to spread out before we knew they were endless? We wouldn't have found each other again. Or if I had decided to keep on looking for our world alone?"

"But we didn't," Harry said firmly. Breathe in one, two, three. Out one, two, three. Everything was fine. He was fine. No, he wasn't going to vomit. The feeling will pass. It always does. He just needed to breathe.

"No. We didn't. And we found a world that opened for the three of us. And to top that, out of all the possible worlds, we entered this world that turned out to be almost perfect. We are young, healthy, and happy. Well, happy-ish, you know? Considering everything. There were no wars, no senseless killings. We were so, so, so unbearably lucky... I have nightmares where we are not as lucky."

Except we weren't so lucky, Harry thought with a flash of anger, we were the ones caught in the spell. We died. It was the type of luck Harry was used to. Terrible things happen and he was "lucky" to survive with a new set of trauma to add to the collection. Pike turned to him, his hair reflecting the light from the window and eyes wide with fear. Harry counted five things he could see, four he could hear, three he could touch, two he could smell. What was one? Or had one been smell? Fuck he couldn't remember.

"It's just... I know this is the best outcome. I know. But, man," Pike tensed his jaw and blinked rapidly, he took a slow breath and continued, "I still miss them. It's been three years and I still feel like I'm going to open the door and my dog will come rushing and Cy will be on the sofa and it will be a normal day."

Harry swallowed. "I'm sorry."

"The fuck you are sorry for?" Pike said with a waver in his voice.

"I don't know," Harry said at a loss. He blinked away the tears. "I'm just sorry. I'm sorry this happened to us."

In the back of his mind, the part he usually ignored, he felt that he was somehow responsible. That this set of circumstances... this impossible death-defying miracle might not have happened were he not Master of Death. But that can of worms was one he was not prepared to open.

"Not your fault, idiot."

Debatable.

"If I ever see the son-of-a-bitch that this to us I'm going to prison. I don't care if the motherfucker is a baker in this dimension," Pike said harshly.

Harry felt the knot around his throat loosen and he even smiled a bit. "I'll break you out. We can live in the Caribbean. Drink piña coladas on the beach."

Pike sniffed and rubbed his face on the pillow.

"You are cleaning your snot on the pillow. Fucking gross," Harry complained.

"Fuck off, mate, it's my fucking pillow" Pike responded while he pushed his face deeper into his pillow. "Should have left you to sleep on the damn couch...We can do that now."

"Do what? I'm not sleeping on the damn couch. My legs don't fit."

"Piña coladas on the Caribbean," Pike clarified, the stupid implied.

Harry paused as his whole world broke and reformed. "Hey, Pike? Why the fuck aren't we in the Caribbean drinking piña coladas on the beach?"

"I don't know man. We poor as fuck?"

Harry snorted. "We could work at a bar by the beach?" That is usually how it went on the stories.

"Those things are seasonal," Pike reasoned. "What are we going to do when summer is over?"

"I don't know. We can figure it out. Where is your sense of adventure?" Harry cajoled.

"I like to eat and have a roof over my head. Besides, Martinez would never. We can't leave him."

"No," Harry agreed easily, "we can't leave him."

After several minutes of silence, Pike asked, "What is it? I can almost see the hamsters in your brain wheezing in the wheel."

"Is it horrible of me to be grateful that I'm here with you and Martinez?" It was a selfish thought Harry had guarded jealously all these years. Even saying it out loud made him nauseous.

"Fuck, Potter, I wouldn't have survived without you two," Pike admitted with a tremulous smile.

Harry did in fact had nightmares that woke him covered in sweat and with a scream trapped in his throat. They ended having ice cream in boxers at four am ignoring how the spoon trembled in Harry's hand.

"Late night?" Riddle asked when they met at eight. Pike had left earlier and had left him to sleep in a few more minutes. Harry made sure to be dressed sharply (his best sweater) but there was no hiding the dark circles under his eyes, his pale face, and his mass of damp curls of a rushed morning.

Riddle in direct contrast was perfect. Harry took a moment to admire the probably custom-made three-piece suit with matching wizard robe in dark green and gold accents.

"You didn't pick up your stuff."

It took a moment for Harry's brain to process what that meant. The books. He had completely forgotten about that.

"No," Harry passed him the key as Riddle passed him the coffee. "I'll pass by today if you are at home. How was dinner?"

"Long," Riddle complained and started on his way to the cafeteria, "Breakfast?" he asked when Harry didn't follow.

Harry shook his head. "I ate so much pancake I'll probably skip lunch," Harry said. Pike was an early-riser and obligatory full breakfast type of person. Riddle pursed his lips and changed direction towards the office.

Riddle put his arm around his shoulders. It made him twitch but he accepted the gesture.

"I'm jealous. Whom did you have breakfast with?"

Harry patted his hand distractedly. "A friend. Besides, you don't eat breakfast most days."

"Just the same, I fought for that hour of breakfast. I don't want to lose it to some usurper."

Harry snorted and a yawn broke his face.

"What's on the agenda today?" Harry asked to change the subject. It was too early to deal with Riddle's fake bullshit. It's not as if Harry actually believed Riddle found their breakfast to be special. And they had work to do. Harry might not have wanted the job but now that it was his, his sense of pride did not let him do anything other than his best. Harry heard with half an ear to today's agenda while they walked towards Riddle's office.

They met with Bellatrix, Lucius, and Draco Malfoy on the way to the office and they fell into step with them. Once inside the office Lucius started on the updates into the criminal cases the Auror department had on the politicians involved in the money scheme. Harry calmly sipped his coffee while he watched Draco smile dreamily and giggle silently for the second time.

When the meeting was wrapping up and no one had mentioned Lil'Malfoy and what they were doing with his cursed ass, Harry interrupted. "Question!" All eyes turned to him, most in surprise. He was usually a silent shadow during meetings. With good reason, Harry was nobody in a room with the most powerful people in the country. "Why are we ignoring that Draco has been imperio'd?" As one, all eyes turned to Draco. Draco tried his best to blank his expression but his eyes were unfocused.

"Don't be ridiculous, Potter," Draco scoffed, "I'm a Malfoy and the best dueler in class if you remember correctly. No one would dare raise a wand against me," Draco said with only a mildly doped-up sneer. Impressive. The high of Imperio is difficult to control even if you were commanded to act normal.

"He looks the same as always," Bellatrix dismissed. Harry raised an eyebrow at the woman, but in the end, Harry shrugged and sipped from his coffee. He had a shit night and had negative fucks to give. He looked at Riddle to see what the man would do. Riddle met his eyes seriously. "Are you sure?" the man questioned.

Harry snorted. Was he sure? He turned his eyes to Draco's face and raised an eyebrow at Riddle. "Does he look normal to you?" By everyone's blank face...yes, Draco looked normal. "Well, maybe he's into drugs. The fuck do I know? I just met him." Harry ventured uncaringly. Lucius spluttered and his face turned red. "But yeah, most likely Imperio."

"Lucius take him to St. Mungus. A mind healer might tell us who was it and what they wanted."

Lucius's red face turned purple. "My son is not cursed," he hissed to Harry. Harry raised an eyebrow but stayed silent.

"Lucius," Riddle warned. Lucius blanched, took ahold of Draco's shoulder, and dragged him away.

"We might not even have to wait," Harry said.

"Why?"

"When they see Draco leaving the Ministry they'll target me next. The drop-out of Hogwart and brand new assistant? I'm surprised I wasn't targeted first. Probably because you escorted me from the floo to here. Whatever they wanted Draco to do, I am probably in the position to do it. I'm immune to Imperio so I'll be able to tell you who is and what they want."

"Imperio," Bellatrix cast and Harry felt the happiness wash over him and a sudden urge to turn his wand to himself and avada' himself.

"Fucking rude," Harry complained with a small frown thrown to Bellatrix as he sipped his coffee uncaringly.

She concentrated and poured more power into the spell. Harry shared an annoyed look with Riddle as if to say you believe this shit? But Riddle only looked amused. Harry rolled his eyes and waited it out.

Finally, Bellatrix lowered her wand. "Ah, so it's true. Had to make sure," she waved it away with a friendly smile. "Also, how in Morgana's tits are you immune to Imperio? I didn't even know that was possible."

Harry hummed as he thought about it. "Probably a combination of a contrarian personality, bone-deep distrust of authority, and feeling suspicious of any type of happiness because what the fuck is that, right?"

Happiness had been such a foreign concept when he had been first exposed to the curse as a teen that his mind went wtf is this shit? Perks of living with the Dursleys: immune to Imperio. Cons: a lifetime of trauma and seeking out toxic relationships like candy.

Bellatrix's face contorted as many thoughts flashed through her face and finally settled in confused pity. "The Potters really did a number on you, huh?" Then she turned towards Riddle and bowed waist-deep. "My lord, I'll stay with you until the danger has passed."

Riddle nodded. Ugh, Death Eaters.

"So," Harry looked at his cheap wristwatch and ignored the creepy by-play. It was half-past eight. "To summarize, we have until six to find out who is trying to murder Riddle plus a full day's agenda."

"And you have to do Draco's work," Riddle added with a half-smile and taunting eyes. Harry made sure his deadpanned face transmitted his feelings about that. Riddle smirked, clearly enjoying provoking Harry. Fucker.

But, "Draco does actual work?" The disbelief oozed through his tone.

Bellatrix laughed and Riddle explained that Draco approved new projects. Harry nodded. "It's going to be tight but I believe in us." He clapped his hands. "Let's get to it. First stop: Auror department."

"Why until six?" Bellatrix wondered as he power walked to the door. What? Why wouldn't it be until six? These people had no concept of work-life balance.

"Because I have shit to do," he answered as he pushed the doors open. Thesis projects don't fucking write themselves, do they?

-0-

Riddle and Bellatrix were talking to Martinez and an 'elite' group (read: Death Eaters) while Harry complained to Pike by the donuts.

"So she told me I needed a lawyer and contracts in place before entering the cave. Can you believe that shit? Does she think I'm made of money?"

"Don't you also need...what is it called? The person that preserves ancient civilizations or something?"

"Yeah, I already have one of those. I expected that. Expensive as fuck but what am I going to do? But now she is dumping on me lawyers and museums and wanting me to change my hypothesis and fuck that noise. She ignored me for an entire year, dismissed my findings, called me crazy, and now that I proved I'm onto something she wants to fucking take over."

Pike made sympathetic noises. "Wait. Isn't she the one you had a crush on?"

"If you were wondering, that's why you don't have more friends. Why do you have to bring that up? So unnecessary. That was back in first year. When she was the sexy smart assistant professor. Now I have a deep well of resentment. She and her 6-inch red heels can go fuck themselves."

Pike hummed as he ate another donut. "But the trip is still on?" while still chewing half the donut.

Harry made a disgusted face but answered anyway, "Of course. I'm graduating this year and she'll have to suck a lemon. I'm not changing my hypothesis this late in the game."

"I can ask around to see if anyone knows a lawyer."

"Thanks, man. That would help since I still haven't finished the ritual I'm planning. And the harpy wants a 'professional' to look over the ritual," Harry rolled his eyes in distaste, "like I'm a noobie that can't be trusted with a ritual. This is Master's level, they should trust us more."

Pike raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Still not finished with the ritual?"

Harry threw him a warning glare. "You don't know what the fuck you are doing," Pike guessed with a wolfish smile. Bastard.

Harry narrowed his eyes but then deflated. "Maybe," he confirmed grumpily. "But neither does she," he defended. The meeting seemed to be wrapping up so Harry turned to face Riddle.

"Harry, come here," Martinez asked. "This is Regulus Black, a class four operative."

Harry raised his brows and whistled. "Impressive. Harry Potter," he shook the man's hand. The man was tall with thick jet-black hair peppered with white that brushed his shoulders, the classic Black grey eyes, taller and leaner than Sirius.

"He will be on bodyguard duty. Black, Harry here has my full confidence. He'd be on par with a class five operative if he ever tried. If he tells you to call it, you call it, understood?"

Harry sent a warning glare at Martinez. Thanks for making the guy hate me on the spot. Regulus looked offended, not that Harry blamed him, but gave a sharp nod.

"Do I wait for you by the floo?" Pike asked Harry as he walked with them to the exit.

"No. I have to stop by Riddle's house to get my stuff." He looked at Riddle for confirmation and the man nodded. He turned to Pike, "Curry for dinner?"

"You are having dinner at my house," Riddle interrupted putting a possessive hand on his shoulder. Harry threw his head back and laughed. Fake or no, playing with Riddle was a fun game.

"Am I?" Harry asked with a devious smile to Riddle and a wink to Pike.

"Yes," Riddle said looking at Pike seriously.

Pike waited until Harry confirmed with a nod before accepting the change of plans. By the looks of it, it did not win Pike any points with Riddle. "See you later, Potter. I'll make french toast for breakfast."

"Can you not provoke the actual overlord?" Martinez whispered angrily to Pike as they left.

"You have horrible taste in friends," Riddle groused when they were halfway to the office. Bellatrix and Regulus Black followed behind in silence.

"I do," Harry agreed with a fond smile. Riddle searched his face, huffed, and smiled.

"You should have told me you needed a lawyer," Riddle commented.

Harry snorted in amusement. "Move over Aunt Petunia, Riddle here has antennas for ears."

Riddle frowned. "I could simply not give you that recommendation."

Harry laughed in delight but obediently backtracked. "I joke! I would kill for a recommendation."

Harry felt the faint click of a magical trap. He stopped walking and held Riddle by the elbow to stop him from walking ahead. "Call it, Black." Regulus and Bellatrix stepped in front of them and inspected the hallway. Regulus was already reporting it to the Auror department.

"Nice catch, Potter," Bellatrix praised after they inspected the trap. "How could you tell?"

"Come here," Harry called her to where he felt it first. Riddle and Black also paid attention while they waited for backup. "Feel this?" Harry took a step forward and back and Bellatrix imitated him. "like a faint click?"

Bellatrix had a look of concentration. "No," she said frustrated.

"It can be hard to detect. Here, I'll amplify it."

Bellatrix's face morphed into childish delight as she noticed it. She was the most expressive person Harry had ever met. It gave him whiplash her rapid change of emotions.

"It will be easier now for you to detect at normal amplitude."

Bellatrix concentrated as she walked a step forward and back over the imaginary line where the spell started a few times.

"It's really hard to tell even knowing it's there," she complained.

"It gets better with practice," Harry shrugged. After a lifetime of death threats that subtle click was as obvious to his nervous system as a gun cocking to a war veteran. A group of Aurors was almost at their location and Harry could see James Potter in the group. He scrunched his nose in distaste and got ready for an awkward no-confrontation where they both ignored each other.

Riddle searched his face and then at the approaching group.

"We can leave," he murmured. They only stayed a moment to explain the situation to the incoming Aurors and much to Harry's relief left quickly.

Riddle had a meeting in fifteen minutes so they headed there. At the center of the room was a large twenty-people table and in a corner, there was a table of carefully arranged refreshments. Harry discreetly walked around the perimeter of the office and found it safe. He didn't want to step on Black's toes so after checking the food for poison he sat out of the way with a plate of fruit. Harry decided to use the time to work through Draco's duties.

The folder he had been handed expanded to eye-watering proportions. Inside were store proposals to accept or deny. Huh. No wonder Diagon Alley had the most boring pretentious stores and fifty of the same restaurants. Fucking Draco only accepted French or Italian restaurants.

Harry mentally cackled. Sex shop? Fucking approved. Hand-blown glass store? Yes, please. Another French restaurant? Denied. Hotel with discreet rooms for Werewolves to spend the full moon? ACCEPTED. Harry plowed through the files and by the end of the meeting he was done. The meeting had been something about Japan and Australia and a new proposal. Something really important and time-sensitive. He couldn't have told anyone the details even under the threat of death. Thankfully that wasn't part of his job. That he knew of anyway.

"I have to drop this at the central," he told Riddle intending to go on his own and meet with them later. It was a great chance to be Imperio'd and see what that had been about. But Riddle surprised him by wordlessly following him. After dropping the papers (and making it impossible for Draco to correct them) Harry saw Gretta near Riddle's office.

Harry turned to Regulus. "Call it, Black," he murmured to not alert the woman.

Regulus was instantly alert. "What do you see?"

Harry kept walking normally. "The woman in the blue cardigan, Gretta, lovely lady, but has no reason to be on this floor. She's a secretary on the first floor. Suspected Imperio or polyjuice."

"And if she's just dropping some papers?" Bellatrix questioned with a raised brow.

"Maybe," Harry conceded. "I would have allowed it any other day Riddle wasn't being relentlessly targeted."

Black was already reporting it on the two-way radio. Gretta passed them by and Regulus took her by the elbow and escorted her to, Harry assumed, the nearest Auror. As Riddle's bodyguard, Black couldn't leave his side for too long. Gretta started sobbing the second Black touched her. Polyjuice then. An Imperio victim would have been too happy to care they had committed a crime.

"Nice," Bellatrix complimented. Harry accepted her fist bump. Fist-bumping Bellatrix Lestrange. A true alternate dimension if there was ever one.

"We have to change office until the Aurors inspect what she did," Riddle commented. Harry groaned. He had left his stuff in the office and would now not be able to get them until Merlin knows when.

Lucius had come back to confirm that Draco had indeed been Imperio'd and it had been an assassination attempt. Draco did not see who did it as he was cursed from behind. He did not thank Harry. Harry did not need to be thanked but it would have been the polite thing to do. Two more meetings, a cyanide-laced spoon, and a rogue house-elf it was finally lunch. Harry stood up to make his way to the cafeteria with a breath of relief before he was unmercifully stopped.

"Potter, where are you going?" Lucius called him sharply making Riddle and Bellatrix look up from their papers.

"Lunch," Harry responded without stopping on his way to the door. The chicken damn it. The chicken. He would NOT eat cafeteria fish one more time.

"We are eating at The Mercy," Regulus responded.

"Great. Have fun."

"Wee Draco is not coming so there is a sit for you, Potter," Bellatrix said.

Harry turned to raise an eyebrow. "No."

"It is not optional, Potter," Malfoy barked.

"I'm not an Auror, just the assistant, and I'm confident you have it all handled," Harry argued with more anger than what he usually allowed himself while at work. The late-night and his nightmares were causing him to snap easily. He rubbed his forehead in an effort to calm himself.

Black did not have it all handled; he had checked the tea but not the teacup or the spoon and like any pureblood he ignored the elf. Black was probably the best dueler in the Auror Force but there have yet to be any dueling to be had. Not that Riddle couldn't take care of himself but Black was paid so that Riddle could do his job without interruptions. On the corner of his eye, he could see Riddle pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"Just offer him money," Riddle instructed Regulus. Harry perked up. Nice. He had a lawyer to pay.

"I won't accept anything less than a hundred galleons," Harry immediately parried. Regulus's face turned splotchy red in fury. Bellatrix gasped, her eyes budged, and then she threw her head back and cackled.

Riddle stared Harry down. Harry raised both eyebrows and waited. He had decades of active force experience (and plenty of personal experience with assassination attempts). He knew what he was worth as a bodyguard. One hundred galleons for two hours was laughably cheap (not that anyone here would appreciate that). Regulus was good, but Harry was better.

Teenaged him would have balked at being "bought"... but teenage him also had a martyrdom problem because of low self-esteem and low confidence. Middle-aged him had bills to pay, an apartment that was a death trap, and countless hours of therapy working through the mess of his childhood.

"Fine. Let's go."

"Potter you either have balls of steel or a death wish," Bellatrix commented lightly.

"Changes by the day, love," Harry said with a wink. As Harry wanted, she threw her head back and laughed in pure delight. He could almost see why men fell in love with Bellatrix. Almost. Still too much like a squirrel in crack cocaine for his taste.

"Why are we going to level two?" Regulus asked him when he didn't change directions.

"We are taking their floo. Less chance of it being tampered."

"Head Auror Martinez is a hard man to impress," Regulus commented almost casually as they waited for the lift.

"Yeah, he's a hard ass," Harry agreed because he had almost hated Martinez at the start of his career but he was the reason Harry reached middle age. Martinez had polished Harry until he had no peers (and pushed him for mandatory therapy sessions for years until something eventually clicked and Harry admitted yeah, that was fucked up and it fucked me up. Maybe my life is equally important as everyone else's life.)

"I can see why he speaks highly of you," Black kept on.

Harry was surprised by the unexpected compliment and his anger thawed. "Thanks, man. That's nice of you to say."

"Why aren't you in the force?"

Harry felt his posture stiffen. "Not interested."

"Why not?"

Harry was getting annoyed with the fishing for information. "Not my thing."

"You seem close with Head Auror Martinez."

Harry hummed and pushed the lift button for level two again. Finally, groaning and clanking the doors opened. He looked at Riddle for a distraction but the man seemed happy to let his bodyguard interrogate him.

"But you call him by their last name and they call you Potter more than not."

Pike had always been Pike. But Martinez had been Head Auror Martinez and Harry had been Auror Potter for decades before they got to the point of being friendly enough to drop the titles. Now calling him George was too strange to contemplate.

Harry hummed once more. Black could ask all he wanted but Harry was done with this impromptu interrogation.

"Is it not weird that a communication trainee is close to two of the best Aurors?"

Harry took out his blackberry and checked his messages. Pike and Martinez had both written to say they were working lunch. The ministry had horrible reception but it worked well enough to ignore Black. After one more question and two more prompts, Regulus got the message and finally shut up.

Harry managed to find Martinez and tell him he was going to lunch with the Death Eaters and sent a quick text to Pike before flooing to the restaurant with the rest of the party.

The restaurant was darkly elegant with tall ceilings, chandeliers that barely provided light and dark paneling. Severus Snape was waiting for them by the door with his customary sour expression and black attire.

"For your sake, Mr. Potter I hope you don't embarrass us," the man drawled. For whatever respect Harry still had of the man's counterpart, he refrained from commenting.

"I can take the kitchen," Harry immediately offered Black.

He had zero desire to be in a Death Eater meeting or worse...a work lunch.

"The kitchen is already taken cared of," Black said, dashing his hopes of dipping out. But Pike was probably at the kitchen since he is the only Poison Specialist in the Auror force and also working lunch. So that was nice.

Harry opened his phone to confirm with Pike and ask Martinez the game plan. Martinez quickly responded with the number of the lead Auror in charge and Harry messaged her for details and to offer his services. The restaurant was crawling with security personnel with different designations and had been closed for their event.

"Potter, get off the damn phone," Snape whispered furiously. It took all of Harry's self-control to not tell the man to fuck off. When the Maitre d' directed them to their private room, Harry let the others walk so that he could put space between him and Snape. Merlin help the man if they were seated together because Harry was in no mood to passively accept abuse.

They entered the private room and to Harry's horror, it was a hellish combination of Death Eaters and politicians. Notable names like the Carrows, Avery, Dolohov, Lestrange, Macnair on their side of the "u" shaped table. To the right side was the Prime Minister of Australia with her entourage and to the left Emperor of Japan with his entourage. In total more than forty people and with more of a banquet feeling than a casual work lunch. No wonder this lunch had to happen even with the risk Riddle was currently facing. Harry cannot even begin to imagine the damage it would do to Riddle's reputation if anything happened. Maybe he should have paid attention to that meeting after all.