Hello Everyone! It has been an age I know. I apologize for my long absence. My life took over the last 2-3 years and I did not have a muse for any of my writings. At one point I was even hospitalized while visiting Bangkok, if you can believe it. It was terrifying but I would definitely revisit Thailand as it is a beautiful place with amazingly kind people. Between that and other crazy things I lost my creativity for awhile. I was living abroad, loving it, but had decided it was time to go home, my family was waiting as was the love of my life, and we are very happy together. I've moved back from across the world and find I have more time on my hands now. (When Covid calms down and we get all vaccinated I do hope to travel again, at least once a year if possible.) Enough about the past though. It was difficult but we got through it and my urge to write has returned. I missed my writings and I missed my stories! Those who've followed my other two stories don't worry. I definitely plan to finish Merging Monsters. I also plan on possibly writing a sequel for Hat and Clogs.
However, this story is from Harry Potter! Its my first Fanfic for this wonderful world and I do hope you all like it! It is an AU and mostly me just having fun with the characters using an idea I had and Alpha/beta/Omega dynamics. Gotta love those! It is Slash so be prepared for that everyone. I will put warnings up later and you can skip the...'scenes'...that may not be suitable for everyone. Otherwise I hope everyone enjoys my new story: The Hunt
Anavas88
I take no profit from this, I've merely borrowed the wonderful characters from J. . - ( I promise she can have them back! )
The Hunt
The young man glared at the beta in front of him. The man was being purposefully obtuse.
Harry had spent the last couple days clearing his traps and skinning his catch. He had already sold his carved wares, so this was the last of his trade he needed accomplished. He had only another couple of weeks before the winter of isolation, and he needed all the supplies he could get. He knew once he was boarded up with his oh so loving family his diet would be basically non-existent. He would be lucky if they allowed him food once a day. Plus, any furs and blankets would be from Harry's own hand, he did not expect handouts from them. Yes, loving family indeed.
The beta in front of him was trying to rip him off. Harry wanted some potions to keep his health up during the long months he would be getting little nutrients from the sun or good food. He also needed amulets to keep his meat fresh and fruit unspoiled. Magically he could do this to an extent, but he really hated using too much of his gifts. Some people reacted badly to 'showing off,' so Harry only used his gifts when in dire situations, or when no one was looking.
The man, a tallish beta, with no distinguishable features continued to try and low ball him.
"These furs will get you two potions, maybe I can throw in a warming amulet, don't want to be freezing no, do we?" The bastard had the audacity to look like he was helping Harry out.
"I think not, if you don't want to do business with me, I'm sure I can find someone who will." Harry snarked back. A sneer curling his lips. He reached over to grab his furs from the makeshift stall. The man just eyeballed him, shocked. Loud laughter could be heard from one of the stalls nearby.
"Don't go pissing off that one Barnaby, he doesn't sell his goods to cheapskates." A red headed stocky man made his way over, grinning wildly.
"And he always has the best goods!" Sing-songed his twin, who abruptly appeared beside Harry. The freckled duo grinned manically at the open jawed trader, then turned their attention onto the smaller form between them.
"Wotcha Harry!" They said together. Rolling his eyes Harry couldn't help but smile fondly.
"Lo' Fred, George, how is your mum?"
The three left the stall and headed to their stall.
"Doing well, frantic as usual, getting little Ronnie ready for the hunt." George replied. "This year he gets to stay in his own cave, away from the family. That is if he finds himself a mate." This was hilarious as they all expected him to 'catch' one particular omega he had his eye on. Hermione, a smart omega who, like Harry, was not timid, did not take shit from anyone and on more than one occasion had put the red head's younger brother in place with a well-placed punch. Ron had been smitten for years. It was a good thing it was a mutual feeling, not that Ron really was aware of that, something Hermione had only confided Harry in.
"Of course, we'll be taking ourselves back over the mountain before the snows becomes too deep." Fred inserted.
"Looks like your business is doing well." Harry smiled glancing over their stall. They always had great items from far off places, though they also had the market on wares aimed at amusing children. Fred and George had joined the traveling caravan as soon as they presented as Beta. They have been traveling ever sense. Harry missed them but was happy when they came through his tribe.
Harry had always been rather close to the rag tag family of red heads. Most families who made their homes in the cave villages and tribes of their homeland had one or two children. Molly and Arthur had many children. Harry had been informally adopted by the matriarch when she found him fumbling for nuts at an early age of 6. He knew they probably would have taken him in completely, but he didn't want to put more hardship on them.
Harry had instantly become friends with the younger four. Fred and George were both betas. Ron was the same age as Harry and not as knuckle headed as some of the other Alpha's he had met over the years. Ginny had yet to present, though it was highly likely she would be an omega, like her mother. Bill, Charlie and Percy had been big brothers to Harry growing up. The two oldest being Alphas, and Percy a beta like the twins. The family was loving and kind and very welcoming to the scruffy boy they had found. Harry saw them as his makeshift family, and they returned in kind. Arthur, the patriarch, even loved to hear about Harry's stories, as harry spent many days in the surrounding forests trapping and foraging.
"So, getting yourself ready for the isolation Harry?" Fred asked nonchalantly. The whole family knew Harry struggled in the winter months when he couldn't leave his families caves. The raven smiled.
"Same old same old boys." They didn't' press, knowing he hated to go into it.
"Are you prepared for the hunt?" George inquired. A small growl made the beta chuckle. The twins glanced down to see the younger man's arms crossed and a look of petulance adorning the cute face. "It's not so bad Harry-kins!"
Harry gave a snort. "Just a bunch of thick-headed alphas thinking they can hop any omega in the vicinity. Then there is this year's batch of omegas, completely incapable of living without their alphas, falling over themselves to spread their legs for the first alpha that looks halfway decent." The two betas rolled their eyes good naturedly. They knew Harry had a skewed view on the dynamics of Alpha's and Omegas. Mostly because his cousin and his friends were assholes and did not have exceptionally good views themselves. The 'family' Harry had grown up with had never taken care of Harry, a young vulnerable boy, and when he presented as an omega, they didn't lift a finger to show they cared.
Omegas raised that way had a hard time trusting in alphas. They just did not see the point. Omegas weren't weak, not by a long shot. They did however require companionship more than any other of the three sexes. Harry was mostly a loner, friendly to only those who showed true loyalty. Polite and distant to everyone who didn't. They worried about the omega, as being alone was known to cause an omega to take their own life if left unchecked. Emotionally they needed companionship. So, everyone made it their mission to give as much as he would allow.
An omega raised to fend for themselves wouldn't see the point of an alpha who would be biologically driven to care for them, and emotionally attached. No, Harry didn't' understand all the other omegas who swooned at the thought of a big strong alpha protecting and 'caring' for them. Afterall, he knew how to take care of himself. Who needed an alpha? Even Hermione, as independent as she was, looked forward to being 'hunted' in the traditional hunt and finally mating. Though Harry highly suspected it was because she wished to be considered an adult and have her own cave to care for, like all who came of age.
"Hmm, well don't forget to 'prepare' regardless, you know its obligatory for you to participate." George advised. Harry sighed but nodded. He knew the laws. He wasn't stupid.
Once a year, before the winter snows isolated the caves from each other, the omegas and alphas would have the annual 'hunt.' All omegas would be released into the forbidden forest. After three hours the alphas were allowed to enter. Then the hunt would begin. For three days the alphas would attempt to catch themselves an omega. Alphas who entered right after the three-hour mark were usually weaker in magic. They would catch the omegas that were also weaker in magic. Like the omegas, all alphas had to participate. They had to enter the forest at some point in the three days. The stronger usually waited until the end of the second day. They would hunt for only the strongest and smartest of the omegas. The ones who lasted past the first day.
Of course, alphas had a choice. If they did not want to 'catch' anyone, then they could just explore the forest for 24h hours and then leave. Omegas had to keep running, hiding, and tricking the alphas if they did not want to be claimed. If an alpha bit an omega's neck, then it was all over, they were now bonded. The Alphas would force their magic into the omega's bloodstream. Their magic would bind with the omega and thus a bond was formed. Unbreakable. Harry glared at the trees in the distance. He hated not having a choice.
He knew realistically that he was somewhat powerful and could probably outsmart most alphas. They ran on brainpower lower then his most of the time. Thinking more with their cocks and what they could get out of whatever omega they hunted. He smirked. Most people had no idea that he was more powerful than he looked. He kept his power locked down and secret. Primarily because his family would become aggressive with him when he used too much.
Harry lived with his predominantly beta family. His Aunt, uncle and cousin. They hated him for reasons that were out of his control. However, they raised him, so he wasn't going to complain. He knew many others would have been left to rot in the forests. Nevertheless, they didn't' make his life easy. They hated that Harry was so powerful. He could do things way to easily when they could not. This bugged the two betas endlessly and their alpha son even more so. Dudley honestly believed he should outstrip Harry in magic now that he was an alpha. Harry let him believe what he wanted.
If he didn't engage his magic often, they mostly left him alone. Literally, as in they gave him a cave to sleep in and that was it. Again though, Harry could make do. He always had.
"I suppose I should make sure I have supplies for three days." Harry begrudgingly assented. Fred grinned.
"Don't forget to buy some ceremonial clothing." The raven huffed at Fred's words.
"Be all spiffy for them traditionalists." George snickered. Harry smacked him in the arm. They all knew the omega did not give a hippogriff's ass what a traditionalists thought but he knew better then to piss off everyone who could make his life hell. He liked to hide in plain sight after all.
"FINE!" He growled. "I'll trade one of my wood carvings for a decorative dress robe I'll only wear once a year." The twins laughed, sure that Harry could probably escape alphas in the hunt for three days easily. None of the alphas in this area were remotely strong enough. "I'll see you two later, give my best to the family and wish Ron luck with Herms." He waved goodbye, and slinked off to finish his bargaining, Barnaby calling him back to do some real trading. His smirk at getting what he wanted from the con artist plain as day. He would have to trade the carving of the Sphinx he made recently. He had planned on giving it to Hermione, she loved riddles, but he could always carve another one.
The twins' grins slowly faded as they sobered up. Glancing at each other they sighed. They hoped their adoptive brother would find a mate one day. He deserved to be happy, loved and cared for, more than anyone else they knew. Now if only he accepted it.
HPHPHPHPHpHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHpHPHPHPHPHP
Everyone hunts, farms and gathers food for survival. That was the way the world worked. Harry lived in the cave colony called Surrey. It was a medium cave tribe that bordered parts of the forbidden forests. The only remarkable thing about their area was that this was the side of the forests that the hunt took place. All the Alphas and Omegas came each year to hunt for their mates. Not that Harry cared. They mostly just stunk up the place.
Each tribe has some magical ability, though it usually manifests in basic forms such as shucking corn or weaving. There are few within all the tribes who have specialized abilities like healing, which included potions. Of course, there were also the few strong warriors who have more defensive magical power that protects the tribe.
Most people had magic of some type. It usually manifested in ways to make life easier. Most could warm the caves or clean the air. Others could mend clothing easier and skin meat faster. He knew of a beta that could shuck a hundred corn within fifteen minutes using only her magic. She worked the fields during fall and sold her wares when the caravan came into town. Her son, also a beta, could make the corn grow faster and healthier. Harry really liked Alice and Neville, they always shared with him when he was short of food.
Even his aunt and uncle, weak at magic as they may be, had some. They mostly used it to clean the air within their caves and he knew his uncle made a good living by drilling out new cave tunnels and homes around Surrey. They hated him because magic was way to easy for him, and he could do more then mundane things. Magic was important, even if his family begrudged him his.
In every tribe were the odd balls that seemed to be overly powerful, being able to do more than a couple of simple tasks. They tended to either be the chiefs, or the outcasts, depending on their locations. Harry envied those that were accepted happily for being stronger in magics.
For example, Tom's family. They were all powerful, and having a powerful child was seen as a gift. They also were lucky to be one of the older families. Which meant more respect. The more powerful and long standing your family was, the higher up you were in the hierarchy. Tom himself was the leader of all the tribes spread throughout their lands. Their lord, in essence. You had to be pretty damn powerful to have that role.
There were many pocketed cave systems within their homeland. Tom lived in the oldest established caves. They called it Hogwarts. It was magnificent, at least according to all the rumors. Harry would love to see it someday. It was nearly on the other side of the forbidden forest though, so it was highly unlikely to happen anytime soon.
He knew one could work themselves up to that of the leader or 'lord' through hard work and strength of magic. For 50 years Toms family has held the position of leader due to their outstanding magical abilities. Tom's power was a mystery. His mother had been a beta. As had his father. Usually, two betas did not make a strong magical child. His mother had been looked down on for being somewhat weak magically in her family. Therefore, Tom had been as well.
His outstanding power, that was the most powerful in memory, proved his place as the chief of the tribe. He was never looked down on again. At least not publicly and obviously. Harry knew most of this thanks to the many trips the man had made over his life to Surrey. Gossip made its rounds.
Like all alphas, Tom had to participate in the hunt. He always waited until the last possible moment to enter the forest. He never came out with a mate. Harry knew that everyone was rearing for him to produce a magically gifted heir, especially his family. Harry may envy his magical acceptance. He did not envy the man's role in politics.
HPHPHPHPHpHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHpHPHPHPHPHP
"Oy, Harry!" The raven-haired omega grimaced. He forced himself not to react to the alpha who had spoken. The voice always made him want to shiver in disgust. Behind a tree came probably the alpha Harry hated the most. It was not his cousin. It was because of his cousin though that he had to interact with the mongrel.
"Good afternoon Piers." The man strutted forward, letting his eyes roam the length of Harry's body in obvious lust. Harry instantly felt dirty. Piers always had that effect on him.
"Shouldn't you be calling me 'alpha' by now Harry. You'll need to get used to it eventually." Harry felt his eye twitch but kept his cool. If he reacted Piers was always worse.
"I will wait until the hunt to call someone an alpha, as tradition demands." Harry said simply. Many alphas didn't care to constantly be called alpha; others enjoyed it too much. Piers was of the latter sort. Piers narrowed his eyes, something like greed and anger flashing in the muddy brown color.
"You know your choices of alphas will be slim, I'd be doing you a favor, letting you have a real alpha." He let his eyes wonder again and cruelly finished. "It's not like another would want you." Harry flushed; he wasn't foolish enough to think himself beautiful. He hated how skinny he was, and the bruises he hid. Piers and Dudley often pointed out his flaws. It always made him feel small. Curling his lip, he straightened his spine. He was not ugly. He may not be a beauty, but he wasn't horrifying to look at. Otherwise, Piers would not have constantly approached him like this. Not that he wanted him to, but it did give him some confidence.
"If I allow myself to be caught, I suppose that will be between MY alpha and me." He stated. Keeping a detached facade was difficult when he so wanted to punch the swine in his nose. Preferably breaking it. Piers growled and stepped into Harry's face. The nose Harry dreamed of breaking nearly poking the omegas eye.
"Don't be so quick to run omega, your made for an alpha, you'll die without their cocks." He whispered harshly. Harry flushed again, angry and disgusted. That was not true of course. Omegas didn't need sex to be happy. Omega's needed care and compassion, companionship. Sure, heats sucks, but it wasn't so unbearable they couldn't live through it. It was loneliness that was the harsh bitter existence of an unwanted omega. Even he knew that. Some alpha's though, they only believed an omega worth one thing. He glared back, utterly incensed.
"If that's the case Harry, you had better find yourself a good cock, as the one this boy has would give no one pleasure." A deep voice said. They both turned to the newcomer. Harry breathing a sigh of relief.
It was Ron.
"You know, it's a bit questionable." The tall red headed alpha held up his fingers, his thumb and pointer slightly apart. It was the age-old sign for 'something is small.' Harry's face was now red from trying to keep his laughter in. Piers sputtered, then grabbed Harry by his arm, digging his fingers in sharply.
"You'll be mine omega, and you'll beg for it." He snarled. Ron quickly jerked the enraged alpha off.
"Enough of that, move along." Harry looked over and saw Charlie, Bill and Fleur. They must have all come together. Currently they were glaring at Piers. The red faced alpha huffed, then strutted away.
"Are you alright Harry?" A sweet voice asked. Harry looked up at Fleur. She was a beautiful omega that was mated to Bill. She had left her home tribe to come live with the tall red head years ago. They had one child, a girl. She had one hand on his shoulder, and one over her small baby bump. Their second child. Harry felt himself relax. Fleur had a different magic about her, her voice could calm a storm. Her whole family were heavily gifted in diplomacy as well as singing.
"Yeah, Piers is a dirtbag but nothing I can't deal with." He assured her. Her eyes were warm with worry and kindness. Then they swiftly flashed to fury.
"You shouldn't have to!" She snapped. Not at Harry of course. Harry's smile grew. Fleur was a spitfire. She could terrify anyone when her ire had been perked.
"True dear." Said Bill, kissing her forehead. "Calm now, don't stress the baby." She glared at him for his concern, and he just looked fondly back. Harry knew the two were madly in love and how an alpha and omega should act. It probably was why he didn't completely give up on alphas after Piers' infatuation started. He would never admit it, but he longed for someone to look at him in such away. He quickly squashed that thought though and thanked the family for helping him.
"You excited for the hunt then?" He asked Ron. The tall alpha grinned broadly and opened his mouth, only to be cut off by his older brother Charlie, who caught the younger in a head lock.
"He hasn't shut up in weeks!" Charlie laughed. "Excited doesn't even cover it!"
"Oy! Get off you ass!" Charlie was able to hold Ron in place for quite a while.
Harry wondered if Charlie would find an omega this year. Although his older brother had found a match, Charlie never had. His younger brother Percy had even recently bonded to another beta, but Charlie didn't seem at all in a hurry. Harry could respect that. It was too bad they thought of each other as brothers. Charlie would have made a great alpha to any omega. He smiled fondly at his pseudo family. He honestly wouldn't have it any other way.
HPHPHPHPHpHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHpHPHPHPHPHP
Harry ducked down into the 4th tunnel on the east end of the caves. It wasn't the largest cave, but it was decent for the family inside. The cave was like all magically adapted caves. You wouldn't expect what was inside unless you had one yourself. The long cave ended at a door. Inside was a large living space, where the family entertained themselves during the long winters or on hot or rainy days. There were several cushions throughout the room and a large fire pit in the middle. A door leading to the food storage sat behind the main sitting area. Runes and spells littered the vicinity, keeping the food from spoiling and the room toasty. They also had ones to keep the air clean and the smoke clear when they were using the fire pit. A large stack of logs was kept in the long tunnel before the entrance for when it was needed.
Four separate areas ran out of the tunnel. One went to the room they used the bathroom in during winters, when they could not leave the caves. One was for his aunt and uncle to sleep in. One was for his cousin Dudley.
The last was for storage. Harry didn't really have a room. He slept in the storage room most of the time. He had used magic to carve himself an alcove out of the wall to sleep on. Inside the alcove he had made a small storage compartment that was hidden from eyes. He kept his furs and food that he collected within and any other personal items. His family had stollen from him before, claiming he had stolen what he had. He did not make that mistake again. Plus, he rather not be beaten.
Making his way through the living space to the storage room, Harry glanced at the mess on the cave floor. Clothing and left-over food scraps were thrown about. Dudley and Vernon were disgusting. Petunia, at least, did not leave food everywhere. However, she did expect Harry to clean up what was discarded by the fat monstrosities she called family. Wrinkling his nose, he slipped into his alcove. Hiding his amulets and potions within his hidden compartment. It was magically extended. He stuffed one of his furs within as well, it would keep him warmer this winter. He held up the ceremonial robes he had to wear for the hunt, once again wrinkling his nose in disgust.
They were mostly a white color, probably made from a doe. They had green swirls sewn around the collar and sleeves. Beads were stitched into the etching to give it some flare he supposed. The sleeves ended in points at the wrists. The robes were fitted, tied together at the front, leaving his neck on display. The robes flared open to either side, ending in points on his thighs. Underneath he would wear trousers, a dark green. They were tight fitted as well. Sighing he discarded the robes within his compartment and laid down. He needed to relax.
Harry pulled out a piece of wood he had picked up in the forest and his carving knife. He had started carving in order to trade and sale the things he made. He had been happy to learn the skill from Arthur, who had been overjoyed that Harry had such natural talent. Harry would carve runes into the figure and imbed it slightly with magic on request. Though he did it for survival, he also quite enjoyed it too. Now he did it to calm his nerves. Piers often harassed him, and Harry never admitted at how frightened the man made him. Shaking his head, he fixated on the fox he was carving. He wouldn't focus on fucked up alphas or the annual 'hunt.'
He was tired and not looking forward to next week. It was going to be a nightmare.
TRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTR
"It's a nightmare." Tom growled to his second in command. Lucius, a blond alpha who was his distant cousin. The man just nodded sagely, used to his lord's dramatics this time of year. He caught the eye of his long-time friend, Severus, who merely rolled his eyes. It was not something Severus did often, or at all, but they both had been in this scenario one too many times over the years.
"It is tradition my lord." The blond said instead. Tom was their lord, the most powerful man in all the land. Only he held the title. So, they respected him by calling him by it, most of the time.
"Tradition? More like torture!" Said lord snarled. His red eyes, inherited by his mothers' people, glared at the crowd he could see from his carriage. Like everyone within the land, they were traversing to the end of the Forbidden Forest. They traveled in groups, in long caravans from the different cave tribes littered along the forbidden forest's edges. Once a year they would pack themselves up and travel to the very end of their land, to a small cave system that had been dubbed Surrey. There, all the alphas and omegas would venture into the forests and bond themselves. If they found someone worthy. Tom never had. Insipid omegas who would not really try to run when he came upon them. Tom lamented in his mind.
They wanted to make it easy, to allow him to catch them and make them the second most powerful in the land. They were weak, and useless to him. He wanted someone who could be of equal, could challenge him and his people. Especially his overbearing family. Yet, year after year he had found no one of worth. It was disheartening.
"My Son will join this year as well; he isn't much happier about it." Lucius smirked. Draco was downright morose. He had no desire to enter the hunt, anymore then his lord did. Once again, the blond caught Severus's eye. They both shared amusement in the similarities between the 17-year-old and their almighty lord. Said lord of course missed their quiet dialog.
"He's cleverer then most then."
"Not saying my godson isn't highly intelligent my lord, however, in this instance he is most likely thinking with his heart." Severus smirked. Lucius sighed. It was true, Draco was highly infatuated with Astoria, an incredibly beautiful and kind girl who was a year younger than him. She had yet to present but it was likely she would be an omega. Lucius highly doubted her presenting as a beta would stop his son from pursuing her though. Since their lord came from a beta/beta match, and was so powerful, Lucius would not stop him if he did. Honestly, his lord had broken many a misconception. His son would most likely camp out in the forest for a day and then leave. He would not enter until the last possible time, the end of the second day. The blond alpha was not worried. His son had found a good woman who would make him happy and give him children.
"So many blasted people." Their lord grumbled. He was never very amendable during this trip. Their lord was 35 now. So, for 18 years he had made this voyage. Lucius and Severus had both been lucky to find their mates long before they entered the forests. The hunt was merely tradition. Lucius had bonded with his long-time love, Narcissa, who like Astoria to Draco, had been younger than him. Severus, however, had bonded to two others. One beta, and one an omega. It was not unusual to have an alpha/beta/omega triad.
Sadly, his beta and omega had died. Their child had died as well, leaving poor Severus on his own. It had taken the combined efforts of Lucius, their lord and Narcissa to keep the poor man alive. That had been a long time ago now. Lucius hoped that one day Severus would accept another in his life.
The carriage stopped and a knock could be heard on the door of the carriage.
"My lord we have arrived." Announced Siris, a powerful beta, excitably. He was an extremely powerful man who happened to be cousin to his bonded. His family had served as guards to the leaders for years. Surprisingly never trying for the top spot. They were highly gifted in defense magics.
"That man is way to happy." Grumbled his friend.
"I heard that Severus!" Squawked Siris indignantly.
"You were supposed to you undignified fool!" Severus replied. Siris sputtered but was dragged away by his long-time friend, Remus, who was shaking his head.
"Enough of that Siri, we got to set up for our lord." The sandy haired alpha could be heard as he guided (forced) his friend away.
Lucius shared an amused look with Tom this time. Severus and Siris were constantly at each other's throats. The sexual tension between the two was almost overwhelming and not very well hidden. Not that the two idiots had acted on it. Lucius and Tom, as well as a few others, were constantly on the prowl to push the two together. Severus was the more stubborn one though. After his triad had broken, he was an emotional squib.
"Shall we gentlemen?" Lucius asked, opening the door. With grumbles the two dark haired men followed the smirking Alpha.
TRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTRTR
Tom glared at his seamstress. She kept fiddling with his sleeves. There was absolutely no point in his opinion. He could not understand why he had to have new ceremonial robes each hunt. He only wore them for three days each year. Then they were discarded. Such a waste. He could have worn the same ones he had the first time he participated in the hunt. Though, in honesty, he had grown since then. Still! He could have worn them a few times. He fought back the urge to roll his eyes as the beta battered her eyes at him. Foolish woman. He really didn't care if he caught an omega or mated a beta. However, he did care if they were powerful and smart, yes, he wanted someone whose intelligence could reflect his own.
"You look dashing my lord." She simmered. Tom forced back a scowl with all his willpower. Nodding in acceptance he bid her good day. She left, throwing him what she honestly thought was seductive glances. Foolish indeed. Though he was by no means a saint in the bed department, he was here to potentially mate a life partner. He was not about to roll in the grass, so to speak, only hours before they started the ceremony. Disgraceful. If he ever mated, he would not sleep with another either, though he knew this would displease many. Unfaithful he was not, and he would expect the same from his partner. Omega's rarely if ever slept with someone outside their bonded ties. Alphas could do so, but it was not done as often as people believed. Betas could much more easily, only because their genetics were not driving them to stick to one another as much. Not that all betas cheated, it was just more common.
"My lord, they are waiting for you." Lucius approached him. Nodding in resignation, Tom put on his leader veneer. He had to show a strong steal front to the people. He couldn't' show how uninterested he was in being here. That would not be acceptable.
HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP
Harry sighed; he was already regretting not running for the hills. Beside him Hermione was humming with excitement. She could be a little overbearing with it at times.
"Come on Harry!" She grinned, grabbing his arm in hers. He allowed it. Herms had been one of his long-standing friends since her family had moved into the caves when he was eleven. Both her parents were good with healing and potions. Naturally Hermione had been too. She often would look out for him when he injured himself. He loved her, even if she jerked his arm around as she scanned the crowds.
The omegas were all lined up by the forest edge. All in similar robes of different qualities. Harrys wasn't the highest quality, but he was glad his wasn't the worst. He had grown up with old clothing and when he had started making his own way, he made sure to always be dressed decently, if not extremely well. After all, no point in wasting his furs and other markable trades on overly priced high-quality clothing when you could trade for decent looking sturdy material.
The alphas were on a slightly higher platform, so they could examine the omegas more easily. Harry felt slightly like cattle.
"OH! There's Ronald!" Hermione squealed. Something she never did. She blushed as she realized her undignified outburst, but Harry just smiled softly at her. He knew how much the two adored the other. They would make a fantastic match, and he was generally happy for them. Glancing up he easily found the red head in the crowd. He stood next to an equally red headed Alpha, his brother Charlie. Charlie had been in the hunt about six times now and had yet to find an omega that matched him. Not that he cared that much. He had plenty of nieces and nephews thanks to his other two brothers.
Ron waved down at them, smiling like the world had no end. Harry and Hermione waved back. He knew that Hermione and Ron would be matched rather quickly. Herms would enter with Harry and then they would split up in the trees. Three hours later Ron could enter. They were not weak perse, but they did not want to wait three days for something they knew they both wanted. Not that Hermione wouldn't make Ron work for it. Knowing her, Harry knew they would spend all day running through the forests.
Sighing he gave a curtsey glance over the other alphas. There were a few that felt rather powerful, not that he cared. He could see one particular alpha, a blond man that was probably the son of the lords second in command. From the look on his face, he wasn't any happier to be here then Harry.
Tom, their lord and leader was wearing an impassive face. Like every year he would not enter until the end of the second day. He wore long robes of black, with red embroidery along his sleeves, collar and bottom of the flared-out robes. Unlike omegas, the alphas robes ended without the points. He wore dark trousers underneath. Harry supposed the man was good looking, with his dark brown hair and pale skin. He had a muscular build without it being overly done. It was his red eyes that through many off, though it was a sign of his family and power. Some found it slightly off putting. Harry again, didn't really care. They looked nice, from what he could see from here, but it was not like he was ever that close to the man to judge accurately.
He huffed; this was such a waste of time. Funnily enough, several others felt the same and would rather be anywhere else. The majority of course were having the time of their lives.
There was a long horn blown. Everyone grew quiet in anticipation. Harry had to admit that being involved this year did make it slightly more entertaining. The crowds of people watching were made up of his small tribe and all the entourages of the other visiting alpha and omega. He noticed his aunt and uncle waving and posturing to their son. Dudley, as an alpha, was standing on the alpha platform, his prestigious air was highly amusing to Harry. He wondered if any of the omegas could be caught by him. Next to him was his annoying sidekick. Piers. The sharp-nosed boy would enter the forest with Harry's annoying cousin. Much to Harry's displeasure. Piers was as asinine as Dudley, however, when Harry had presented, he had started being overly flirtatious when ever he was near Harry.
Considering the alpha had spent most of their childhood mocking and chasing him just like Dudley he couldn't understand why the boy thought he had a chance. Plus, it was ill-advised to pick a match whose power levels was not more evenly matched. As much as Piers would like others to believe it, he wasn't' that powerful. More so to Dudley, but not by that much. He would get himself hurt trying to deal with someone like Harry. Harry had never shown his full power to anyone, but even what he had shown far outstripped the alpha. They would hurt each other; it just wasn't done. Not that Piers liked being told 'no.' anymore then Dudley then once he had cornered Harry. The omega, though, had been squirrelly and managed to escape time after time, sometimes barely, when the boy would play somewhat dirty.
Harry would not hold back if the man tried to bind them together. His power would be unlocked if it need be. Shaking his head of those dark thoughts he focused on the proceedings. Lucius was speaking, he often opened the ceremony.
"Today we begin our traditional hunt!" Everyone cheered. Harry rolled his eyes. So did that blond alpha he'd spotted before. This made Harry snort. He realized the alpha was grinning back at him. Must have caught Harry's eyeroll. Harry refocused back on the older blond. "In a moment we will release our astounding omegas into the forbidden forest, they will have three hours in which to hide themselves, set up bewitchments and in all essence escape our daring alphas." Again, more cheers. Harry huffed, and Hermione elbowed him for his disrespect, she liked authority figures too much sometimes.
"This ritual has long been part of our people. The binding of alphas to omegas, love sustaining through the years, creating new life and new hope for the next generation. To start a new life, this is true growth…" Harry zoned out somewhat after that. He had heard this all before, growing up in Surrey they got front row seats each year. He pulled his small bag higher up on his shoulder. They were not allowed much. They could only bring simple things. Like a knife, a water skin, a blanket and some flint for fire. Not that it was always safe to light one if you were being 'hunted.' Harry smirked; many omegas got caught on the first night simply because they were cold. Harry had a special fur blanket. He needeth worry about the cold.
"Now, omegas please approach the trees." Harry moved forward, Hermione holding his left hand tightly as she grinned manically. You would think this was a race he thought. Lots of people were hollering, screaming encouragement and advice. Some were a bit sketchy and some downright offensive if it wasn't the day of the hunt. Others were kind of course; Harry could hear Ron's mother Molly yelling the nicer advice. He smiled. He had family here too. OF course, the twins were highly inappropriate. Molly would probably box their ears for him.
The sound of the horn blazing through the crowd set the omegas loose. Like gazelle they stampeded into the trees, past brush and hanging plant. Harry jumped a stump with Hermione, then smiled as they came to a stream. Looking at each other Harry reached over and gave her a big hug.
"Good Luck Herms, you look beautiful. Give him a run for it!" She giggled, hugging him back.
"You too Harry!" She exclaimed, before whispering softly, "and try to be happy too!" Then she whirled away and ran in the opposite direction. Blinking and shaking his head Harry set off, he wanted as much land as possible between him and the bull-headed alphas. Piers would not find him anytime soon.
After three hours of tramping through the brush and thick foliage, Harry heard the unmistakable bleat of the first wave of alphas. These didn't' worry him. They were weak and some of them rather dimwitted. He looked over his shoulder. Most of the ground and trees were undisturbed. Instead of slamming his way through he had been careful and steady as he walked. Sure, distance was important but not if he made a straight path for his hunters to follow and find him.
He noticed a small hovel under the large trunk of a tree. There were some berries nearby too. He quickly picked some, putting them in his bag. Then squatted down in the hole. He pulled out his fur blanket, grinning. This was the only thing he had of his father and mother. It was made before he was born. What was amazing about it was that it had special runes inlaid. They kept the wearer warmer than other furs. Plus, they had runes that made people look away from him. He could only wear it for short spurts of time, as it sucked some of his magic to power it. Others would struggle with it, so his family had never wanted to steal it.
Nevertheless, for a while, he was nearly invisible.
HPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHPHP
Ok everyone! That is the introduction. I hope it wasn't too crazy full of information but I wanted to set up the story. I have been reading way too many fics from the The Hobbit lately where everyone ends up living in a cave and I just HAD to stick this world into a cave/forest society. I hope it makes sense and you enjoy! I've already written a few more chapters. I am not planning on making this as long as MM but it will be at least 7-10 chapters long. Maybe 15 if my muse takes over. I'm edited Chapter 2 as we speak. Please review! I'm curious what you all may think.
Anavas88