Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Supernatural. No money is being made.

Warnings: Slash.

Chapter 14 – First Impressions

"Zachariah."

It was only his name, but he could feel the order in it. In these occasions he truly despised the hierarchy that defined them, and – even if he would never admit it – envied the free will their Father had gifted those hairless apes with.

"Michael, Raphael." He turned to face the two Archangels.

"Why did you not report back the moment you learned of Lucifer's locations?" Zachariah knew that tone. It was Michael's I'm-two-seconds-away-from-smiting-you tone. It took everything he had not to flinch.

"I thought it would be unnecessary, considering that we did not find Lucifer's location – we simply ran into him."

"Your job is not to think. Your job is to follow orders." Raphael narrowed his eyes. "Do not act above your station."

"While you were doing all that thinking, it must have slipped your mind to mention that our brother was not alone. And that the person with him was a human Father gifted with Creation."

Zachariah almost sneered. What had the humans done to deserve to be gifted with such a thing? Not even them had been gifted with Creation. What was so special about the humans?

"I am sorry, Michael. I meant to report back, however when we felt Gabriel's Grace everything was a flurry of activity and it truly must have slipped my mind." No need to tell them that they had found traces of their Father. He had spent eons planning the Apocalypse, he would not let it be derailed now.

"See that such slips do not happen again. Dismissed." Zachariah did not need to be told twice. He knew perfectly well that it was best not to aggravate the two Archangels any more than he already had; he was hardly suicidal.

Two sets of eyes watched him leave.

"I do not trust him."

Michael glanced at his brother and sighed. "Neither do I brother." It pained him to admit it. Since Lucifer had fallen so much had changed. Before that it was unheard of not trusting one of his brothers. Now though, every angel seemed to have their own motivations, it was as if their Father's orders meant nothing.

"Our Father was there, Michael."

It had been eons since Michael had heard his brother sound so lost; the last time was when Lucifer was locked up and Gabriel vanished.

"And Gabriel appeared again," he whispered. "Since the cage opened, nothing has been going as was expected. The fact that Father is somehow involved… Do you think he made other plans?"

He felt Raphael lean against him, Raphael's wings wrapping around him.

"Would you hate me if I told you that I wish that Father had made other plans? That I wish for Lucifer and Gabriel to come back to us?"

Michael shuddered as the soft words washed over him. He slumped slightly against his younger brother, the only one left that he trusted.

"No, Raphael, I would not hate you. I wish for the same." Both of them had always followed their Father's orders; they were good sons, good soldiers. That was why they were so set on fighting against their brother, their father had commanded it. However that did not stop their hearts from wishing to have their brother beside them. Both Lucifer and Gabriel were dearly missed.

"Do you know anything about the humans that were seen with Lucifer?" he asked, trying to bury the memories of happier times in the back of his mind.

Raphael shook his head. "I only know that they are wizards." A smirk spread on Raphael's lips. "And the older of the two kicked Zachariah's ass and killed a demon."

"Really, now?" Michael had a matching smirk. "Well, our brother always had good taste."

Raphael laughed, a bright light in his eyes, and Michael smiled. It had been a long time since he had seen his little brother so carefree.

Part of him hoped that their Father truly had other plans, and that these carefree moments could once more be part of their everyday life.

He was tired of fighting against his brothers.

"Well?"

He was one of the few that hadn't flinched. He sneered at the demons beside him. Such weaklings.

"Lucifer was with a human, we weren't able to get to them. There were angels there too. One of us was killed when he tried!"

He shook his head at the stupidity of the soon to be dead demon. You don't argue with the higher ups – that was demon survival 101. They just want results.

He didn't even twitch when the demon beside him was killed and those red eyes focused on him.

"Anything to add?" he was asked, leaving him stuck between a rock and a very hard place. If he didn't answer it could be considered disrespectful and be killed, if he did answer it could be considered disrespectful and be killed. Lamenting his luck, he spoke, "The human was a wizard. And he didn't seem to like the Angels. He was actually fighting an Angel and threatening to kill him before the demon tried to get the child."

"He can kill Angel?"

He almost sighed in relief when he wasn't killed on the spot.

"We don't know. They disappeared after killing the demon."

He slumped slightly when their boss moved away from him.

"Well, well, well… isn't that an interesting development?" their boss murmured. "Find out who that wizard is. We need to know on who's side he is. And if he isn't on our side… we'll just have to persuade him, won't we?"

He didn't smirk with the rest of them at their boss' plan. They hadn't seen the look in the wizard's eyes, nor the near obsessive devotion in Lucifer. Whoever that wizard was, provoking him didn't seem to be such a good idea. He was sure that only death awaited those who tried.

Still, the boss had given his orders and he would obey.

He only hoped that there were enough demons between him and the wizard when everything blew up in their faces. Maybe then he would have a chance of escaping before the wizard got to him.