"How many times are you going to be showing up with bruises?" Harry asked, his eyes darkening before swearing under his breath.

Jax grinned at him and walked right up to him, taking in the sight of the ghostly bar around them. It was one of several he had been to in the past few months, after patching into the Sons.

"You should see the other guy," Jax offered, smiling at Harry's exasperated look. His left eye hurt from where he had gotten punched and he'd likely end up with a black eye in the morning. His ribs hurt too but Chibs had said that they weren't broken. "Guy talked shit about Tara. The fight was worth it. Guy won't be coming back to Charming."

Harry snorted and reached out, curling his fingers around Jax's chin. "He did, huh? You said Tara wanted to be a doctor. She have anything to say about this?"

Jax grinned even wider even as Harry looked him over before rolling his eyes, tapping his cheek once before withdrawing his fingers.

"She punched him first," Jax replied, pushing his hair back from his eyes. He smiled at the thought and walked over to sit on one of the bar stools. Harry followed him, dressed in his school robes, and drew something out of his pocket.

"Right… Well… Here," Harry said, his hand coming out of his pocket with a jar of what looked like paste. "An early 18th birthday gift."

Jax blinked and looked the jar over, curling his fingers over the lid of it and peeling it open. The paste was a soft lavender color and it smelled crisp, like freshly cut and watered flowers. "Ugh. This better not be something I gotta drink 'cause the potions you talk about don't sound good."

Harry snorted and swept some paste onto his fingers before reaching out. "Nah. It's bruise balm. Hermione helped me make it."

Jax continued to look at it like it was poison, suspicion coloring his expression.

"Jax! I swear to Merlin." Harry shook his head bemusedly and smoothed some into the bruise over Jax's eye. It left ripples of coolness on his skin and Jax sighed, relaxing a little bit into Harry's fingers. "It'll ease the bruise a lot but it won't make it disappear. Less suspicious that way."

"You sure it won't kill me?"

Harry just stared at him, a slightly irritated look in his eyes. Jax grinned back as Harry withdrew his fingers, taking a step back.

"You're back with Tara?"

"Yup. We're going out for my 18th birthday," Jax said, facing Harry as his best friend watched him. "You learn anything else about Riddle?"

Harry shrugged and walked over to sit on the stool next to him, swiveling in the chair idly. "He was an orphan, like me. His mother was a witch who… used a love potion on his father. It was a loveless marriage. Tom was left an orphan after his mother died and his father didn't want anything to do with him."

Jax blinked and watched as Harry drew onto the ghostly bar table. "That's fucked up. Harry, you know you're nothing like him, a'right?"

"I know. I have actual friends and a nose," Harry offered, smiling a little.

Jax stared at him, half incredulous, half weirded out, and Harry snorted.

"Voldemort has like a slit for a nose," Harry explained, shaking his head in amusement even as his eyes darkened. "Neville called him snake face a couple days ago."

Professor Slughorn looked them all over, his eyes expectant but not cruel. It was weird not having Snape for a potion's professor and instead having him as a defense against the dark arts professor. Weirder still being able to actually excel at potions. Granted that was all thanks to whoever the Half Blood prince was.

"Alright, Your potions should be done by now. They should all smell differently to each and every one of you," Slughorn remarked, crossing his arms as he walked around the aisles of cauldrons.

Harry exchanged glances with Ron and then bent down to sniff his own potion, wondering… This was the amortentia potion, a love potion, the strongest in existence, and it smelled… Harry tilted his head in confusion, taking a minute to parse what he was smelling. His potion smelled like… leather, smoke and… possibly sweat? And lastly… the biggest scent that rose from the liquid in his cauldron was… metal. Like the metal of a car frame. His heart skipped a beat at the smell as a vague memory came back to him, matching the scent. And then… Harry ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head as the sound of a motorcycle revving filled his mind and ears.

He hadn't thought he remembered being taken away from Godric's Hollow by Hagrid but then Sirius had found his bike a month into summer. And had started to take it out on trips.

His amortentia smelled like that, like the metal of a motorcycle. And… his cheeks reddened at the thought. He loved Sirius for being his godfather so there was only one other possibility. Jax Teller. His heart clenched in his chest at the realization and he swallowed. Jax was in love with Tara and they had never met in person.

"Harry, mate, you okay?"

Harry blinked and turned to look at Ron, who was looking at him with worry in his eyes.

"What'd yours smell like?" Harry tried, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

Ron shrugged. "Parchment. And something else. Yours?"

"Leather, sweat and metal."

"This have something to do with the guy you dream of?" Ron asked, lowering his voice enough so that no one else would hear.

"I… Well, it's not Sirius."

Ron snorted. "Then what's the matter?"

"It's too dangerous for us to be together and I don't… He's in love with someone else."

Ron blinked and then reached out to squeeze his shoulder. Harry nodded to him, sighed and turned back to fill a vial of potion.

"What'd Malfoy do this time?" Jax asked as Harry walked in to their dreamscape, this one looking like Hagrid's shack again. It was a ghostly version of it of course, whited out table and fireplace. No Hagrid or Fang in sight.

"He… He cursed a bottle of whiskey that ended up in Professor Slughorn's office," Harry muttered, running a hand through his hair and sitting down in one of the chairs, stretching out his arms on the table. Jax sat down next to him, close enough that their shoulders brushed against each other. "I think. The whiskey was meant for Professor Dumbledore."

Jax frowned and dropped his head to his arms, mirroring Harry's position. "You think this has something to do with what you saw at the beginning of the year? That Malfoy's gotten the mark?"

"Yeah. I do. I just don't know what it's all adding up to be. I just know it's not something good."

"You think about confronting him?"

"Sirius doesn't think it's a good idea," Harry remarked quietly, shrugging in thought. "But… maybe. Ron almost died."

"Hey. Did you know Tara has a great ass? She also got a tattoo last night too and we both got arrested and it was…" Jax paused, his eyes lit up. "I'm gonna get the reaper on my back. I have another appointment next week to get the set."

Harry stepped into their dreamscape, this time, the great hall of the Ministry of Magic where he had faced Voldemort last year. It was more ghostly now than it had been last time, no sound, not as dark but not as light either. Their dreams had gotten darker lately, a lot less colorful and light, and if Harry was more suspicious or more like Trelawney, he'd have said it was a sign.

"Wait. You got arrested?" Harry asked, lifting an eyebrow, seeing yet another bruise on Jax's skin. A black eye that colored over his left eye and he could see Jax's knuckles were bloody, as his best friend walked around their shared dream.

"Yup. Got into a fight and then stole a gift for Tara," Jax said, a dreamy look in his blue eyes, his cheeks red.

"You're drunk, aren't you? Or were before you fell asleep," Harry muttered, rubbing his forehead before sighing. "You're asleep in jail."

"Got it in one. Tara's sleeping on my shoulder," Jax murmured, winking at him and grinning widely, his eyes bright. "We strolled through Charming. There's people who call me the prince of Charming."

Harry tilted his head and then shrugged in response. "Does it… feel good to be called that? Everyone knowing your business and all that?"

Jax blinked at him, his eyes narrowing. "Nobody's calling me a liar that's for sure. I suppose it's different for you. You never said what happened to that bitch of a reporter and Umbridge."

Harry's lips twitched at the words, memories flashing through his mind. "Well… Skeeter was an animagus. Can you guess what she turned into?"

Jax let out a sound of consideration, looking up at the fountain in the center of the hall. "Always getting into places she shouldn't be, places she couldn't be. A cockroach?"

Harry laughed. "Close. A beatle. I don't actually know what Hermione ended up doing with her."

Jax's eyes lit up at the thought and then darkened dangerously, his fingers clenching as he remembered Harry telling him of her during his fourth year. "What'd she do in the first place?"

"Last I saw, Skeeter as a beatle was stuck in a jar of Hermione's," Harry remarked, smiling faintly, darkly. "Never get on Hermione's bad side. That's for sure."

Jax smiled in a not so friendly way, his eyes glinting with something that looked like contempt. "Good. She's willing to do that. I remember the headlines Skeeter wrote about having overheard you talking about our dreams. The Sons wouldn't have stood for that kind of reporting. At all."

"I might have threatened her too," Harry added wryly, running a hand through his hair. "Took a page out of your book for that."

Jax smirked at that, crossing his arms, practically radiating smugness, and Harry rolled his eyes.

"Umbridge was carried away by centaurs," Harry continued, now full on smiling at that memory. It might have been petty but that memory was something to remember.

Harry nodded idly as he looked around the entry hall. "I was possessed briefly by Voldemort here."

"There aftereffects for something like that?" Jax questioned, glancing over at his friend. One of his two best friends really. Ope and Harry. Even though no one else knew about Harry other than Opie. He still hadn't told Tara about Harry and maybe never would. He still hadn't told Gemma anything else after his mother had written it off when he had been 13. Though… if Harry needed help, needed him, he'd do whatever it took to go over to England. Lack of passport be damned. Maybe the Belfast charter would be able to help with that.

Harry shrugged and turned back to look at the hall around them. He made a motion with his fingers and a noise left his throat. "I dream about it. What if I hadn't been fast enough? Sirius would have been killed. I know that. What if I hadn't been able to shake Tom from my mind? And… I've been training my mind too. Nothing helped with that. Voldemort and I… we're linked in some way that… I'm not sure about."

"We're linked too. Maybe…" Jax trailed off and ran a hand through his hair, scraggly with bedhead. "It's the same thing?"

"I don't even know why this…" Harry gestured between the two of them, meaning their dreams, their shared lives, memories. "It's not a soulmate thing. There's no such thing."

"You're a wizard. You're telling me there's no such thing?"

Harry huffed and shook his head. "No. I haven't heard of people sharing dreams and if that was a thing, then that would mean Tom and I are… Fuck no."

"Tom split his soul," Harry muttered, shaking his head half in disbelief and half… ready to believe anything.

Jax blinked, scrubbing a hand over his bedhead and paled. "The fuck does that mean?"

"It's how he… how he survived this long," Harry offered, leaning against the door of the ghostly potions classroom. "He's split his soul multiple ways and gone insane from it. All because he's scared of death."

Jax shuddered. "So kinda like dementors sucking out people's souls?"

"More or less. Except he's doing it on purpose. I'm going on a trip with Dumbledore tomorrow to find one, I think. The diary from second year was one but that's already been destroyed."

Jax smirked at his words and slung an arm around Harry's shoulders, squeezing tight for a minute before letting go. "You had better be careful over there."

Harry snorted. "I'm trying. It's kind of hard to do when none of the adults are… you know… doing anything. Some of the professors are still looking at me funny since I killed Bellatrix. Snape's looking more suspicious too, paler and darker at the same time."

"Dungeon bat back at it?"

Harry caught the mischief in Jax's eyes and laughed quietly before quieting, his stomach roiling as he thought of all he had learned over the past year. "I don't know how many horcruxes Voldemort has. I don't know… The Order knows or thinks… that Voldemort is gathering forces and he's got that prophecy. Neither of us can survive while the other can live. War's coming."

Jax scowled, his eyes darkening at Harry's words. "Tig and Chibs were soldiers. I don't like this."

"I don't either, Jax. It's just something…" Harry paused and glanced at his best friend. "Malfoy's been acting more shady ever since I confronted him after he cursed Katie. Snape hates me."

He stood up and started to pace, his hands clenching into fists before relaxing. "I've been practicing with my knife and spells. Hermione's noticed and isn't saying anything. She only pales and gets some more books that might help us. I've noticed her… brewing more potions too, on the side. A storm's brewing, I think."

A sound left Jax, kind of a growl, protective and angry and helpless at the same time. "Fuck. You gotta be 100% certain about this, Harry. You sure I can't come over there?"

"Yeah. You can't help me," Harry said, turning back to look at Jax, a strangled sound leaving his throat. "It would put you in so much danger and I'd be worried about you. I can't… That can't happen. You already gifted me with a knife. You've offered advice where it counted. You're here. That means more to me than you coming here."

Jax huffed and stood up. "Fine. I'd like it on record that I hate this."

Harry's lips twitched up in a faint grin, one that didn't reach his eyes. There were bags underneath those green eyes, bags that shouldn't have been there. Jax remembered meeting Harry Potter nine years ago, going on ten, and remembered seeing the other boy for the first time in his dreams. Harry had been so much more carefree then, if a little cowed by his relatives. Now… he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders and it made something dark curl in the pit of his stomach, even in the dream. "Duly noted."

"Harry?"

The dreamscape was dark, as if the storm that Harry had talked about had arrived and brought friends. It was cloudy and stormy, everything painted over with spots of darkness. As if what was going on in Harry's world was invading this one and Jax didn't like it at all.

The castle in front of him was bleak, no color at all except a very weak spot of white where he knew Gryffindor tower was.

"Snape killed Dumbledore."

Jax started, rocking back on the heels of his feet as he heard Harry walk up to his side. Harry stood next to him quietly, as they both stood in the Astronomy tower. "Snape killed him right here and then ran off with Malfoy and the other Death Eaters. It was Dolohov who was leading them. I think Voldemort's a little pissed that I killed Bellatrix last year."

"You're damn right he should be," Jax muttered viciously, his mouth curling up in a smug grin.

Harry drove an elbow into his side and Jax huffed. "You're not the one who actually killed her."

"I know that. I'm taking partial credit for it though."

Harry laughed quietly and Jax could definitely hear an edge to it that hadn't been there before.

"I'm not going back to school next year," Harry offered after a few minutes, after his laughter died out.

"You're going horcrux hunting."

"Yup. I'm gonna kill him if it's the last thing I do."

"You better damn well be careful," Jax retorted, reaching out to curl his fingers into Harry's hand. Harry squeezed back and Jax tightened his grip even more, feeling Harry's fingers shake even through the dream. "You're my best friend, Harry."

"I thought Ope was your best friend."

"A guy can have more than one best friend," Jax muttered, shaking his head. "If you have to travel to Ireland in any capacity, go to Belfast. There's a charter there. If you tell them you're a friend of mine, they'll help. I'll call the President over there and let them know you might come by."

"Thanks. I might need a safe place to stay for at least a short while."

Jax took a step around to face Harry, seeing determination in those green eyes and grief too. "You think we'll keep on dreaming?"

"I hope so. These dreams are getting less and less frequent."

"You think it means something?"

"I fucking hope not. I want to meet you in person sometime."

"Sometime. Yeah."

"I swear to god Harry, if I have to share another dream with you here…" Jax muttered, glancing around at the whited out version of Privet Drive. A ghostly version of his kutte curled around him, giving him a sense of comfort in this empty ghostly house. "I'm fucking coming over there right now and-"

"And what? I won't be here ever again. I'm about to turn 17," Harry explained. "The trace gets automatically removed and then I'm both free and not."

Jax turned to look around the neighborhood and then turned to head directly to number 4, his fingers turning into fists as he walked. Harry scowled and ran to catch up to his friend, as the dreamscape spread out in front of them. Jax walked right through the open door of Harry's 'home' during the summer and right into the hallway, stopping right at the cupboard under the stairs.

"Christ. You told me about it," Jax muttered, something viciously protective in his voice, anger that wasn't directed at Harry.

Harry scowled and turned to stand at the door of the house. He heard Jax open the door of the cupboard and heard his footsteps quiet before Jax stomped right back out.

"Those fuckers."

"They're moving. I don't know where they're going but I don't care," Harry offered quietly, shrugging.

"You shouldn't. They didn't give a shit about you over the past 16 years."

"Jax…" Harry trailed off, glancing at his best friend.

Jax turned to look at him, lifting an eyebrow.

"Could you do me a favor? A huge one?"

"Are you seriously fuckin' asking me that?"

Harry snorted. "Take care of Hedwig for me for however long I'm…"

"On the run?" Jax asked, seeing Harry shuffle in place for a second before sighing.

"Yeah. On the run. I won't be able to take care of her and with you, I know she'll be taken care of. You mind?"

"Sure. My mom keeps birds. Of course I'll look after her. What… uh… How do you take care of an owl?" Jax questioned faintly, unsure of the answer but more than willing to take care of Harry's bird friend.

"It's not that hard. She hunts at night so leave a window open. I'll send her perch and cage with her and money."

Jax opened his mouth to argue that point but Harry beat him to it, poking his shoulder.

"She's my bird, Teller. Besides… you shouldn't have to use it for anything. Magical birds are tough and she kind of rules the roost at the owlery. And you don't have to worry about anything else going into your house through an open window. Owls are predators for a reason."

Jax nodded hesitantly before swallowing. "A'right. I'll take her. She knows where to go?"

"Yeah. Magical GPS, remember? I'll tell her to go to Jax Teller in Charming, CA. She'll understand you so if you need her to hide or whatever, tell her. And she ought to like you well enough."

"And why is that?"

"I like you," Harry answered, crossing his arms.

Jax grinned. "Ahhh, you like me."

Harry glared at him. "Jax!"

"I know. I'll look after her. Just have to tell Tara that I'm adopting a bird for a few months," Jax said, his eyes narrowing in thought before looking pointedly at Harry.

"I'll be careful. I promise."

"Says the man who did all of this," Jax muttered, gesturing to all of Harry and all of the house around him and clearly meaning everything else.

Harry threw up his hands and scowled. "It's not my fault."

"I know. Just fuckin' be careful in England."

"I will. And you be careful… running guns and all that."

"It's a deal."